POLICE & "THIRD DEGREE."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1833, 21 August 1913, Page 9

POLICE & "THIRD DEGREE."

BEMABKS BY A JUDGE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Christchurch. August 20. Allegations against tho police of "third degree"' methods were made by counsel in a burglary caso at tlie Supreme Court to-day. Mr. Justice, Denniston protested against sucli allegations, more than cf which hare been made of late. His Honour said that the conduct of tho police in these cases had been described as "tli© third degree." This was a termusetf in America to describe a system of authoritative examination, accompanied by direct torture, to compel accused persons to make statements. Now, nothing had occurred like that in New Zealand, and his Honour thought thatif allegations of third degree methods were publicly made in New Zealand, hostile papers and people in England, not knowing tho facts, would connect the methods out here with those in vogue in America. He hoped that lie had made- himself plain in regard to the matter. These hostile papers would take the matter up in the same way as they had <lone before. It was certainly a good maxim for a police, officer to ■ keep his mouth shut and his. ears open, but that did not prevent Crown officers from' taking any statement from an accused person if he voluntarily ln!ltle it. Mr. Justice Williams hnd said that, if a prisoner voluntarily chose to converso with a police officer on any matter, ho had a right to do so. 'In conclusion, his Honour stated that if tho prisoner at any time desired to make a statement there was nothing to prevent a police officer from taking it,_ so long as he did not "compel" the prisoner to speak