COOK ISLANDS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2263, 24 September 1914, Page 8

COOK ISLANDS

CONSOLIDATING THE LAWS nun? rut rNTßnnunrn 1 HIM BILL IWIKUULLtUJ The.,Cook"'lslands Bill, a. huge m'oaeuro of; 675 clauses, was introduced in the Houso of Representatives yesterday. It is said to bo tho longest Bill yot :'■-. iniiroduced into\th© New Zealand Par- ;. liament. The Bill consolidates all the ■ ; Jaw. relating, to the government and ad- :, ministration of., tho Cook Islands, and ; also makes new law.' This means that ;; the .Bill first of all proposes to define the constitution of the Cook ■ Islauds, and that it goes on to deal :'. with, such- widely diverse subjecte as ,;- the criminal code, the civil and criminal : -jurisdiction of the courts, the marriage '.and divorce; laws, public health, prisons : and, police, education, the administra^ .' tion of Crown and native lands, and the ;p.;.ineane*| of communication between tho .;'v : islands'. .'"■-.• ; '.;- : . Generally the object seems' to have ;.-been/to . make the New Zealand law f .'.apply\ mutatis ; mutandis in tho Cook "■;-Islands.. Provision is' made for the eet-:,V-ting sup of a High Court and Magis;v;;trates'. Courts in. the 'group, and the of the.-Supreme Court of 1:..' Ne- Zealand is made to extend' to tho ;JJ-Sislands: .'■■.:. ..' :.' -■'■: ■■■.-'■■ -• ■ judgments .obtained in. the JiJNew Zealand Courts'have not been en'-' *.vvferasable in the"islands,"but this defect ';'-. is remedied by; the Bill, and provision .: :■■■: is' made, for- the extradition of abscoud-'.i-.;;ing debtors and others from'the islands, ::'-:tp r ,Noiv. Zealaindj and vice versa.. ,Pro.toyision is made, also, for the. setting up ;':;.;'of a.Native,Land-Court on the lines of >'-ihe Now Zealand Courts Power ia given ! \ to the Minister to establish: 6chools in. iC'ilio islands. . : • ' v ;;'.''^lmportant'proposals in regard'to the ;' : v.iise of intoxicating liquors are embodied S? 'in the Bill. It provides that no' natives -;.■ shall be supplied with any liquor except i!on a doctor's order. The manufacture ;.;,'of intoxicating, liquor in the'islands is % absolutely prohibited,: under a penalty exceeding a fine of £100' or a term. <;t;.'of : ,three months' imprisonment.. The | and sale of liquor by private fet\.persons'is also prohibited. The Resident 18/ Commissioner: may .import liquor and K/'i'sell it .'to Europeans', but not to natives yv.except.for medicinal purposes. ■ A form IvVpf State control is thus proposed... -~ "*;;•; Provision is made for the, appointment Si:.'in'New Zealand of'a. Secretary, for the '.-;';;'*Oqbk;lslands' and for eeparate Resident 5;4 Commissioners and Deputy-Commission- : J;:';ers at both Rarotonga and Niue. Chief By-Medical , :Officers shall be .stationed at ■|;vE,arotong_a and Niue, it'vis suggested, g;.; and provision is made for such assistant '$r : medical officers as may be required.. ■■ iv't'' Provision is. made' for the establish-:;i/-sinent of prisons and the. appointment of jS-gaolers; and-police;' , ; -The acquisition - of ;A.ja ship to be stationed at Rarotonga for Slvcarrying on- ' a . 6orvice ' between . : the £: : ;islande is ''provided -for. ; Legislative 4! ; :C6uncils, : tobe;known/as "Island Coun■ifi.cilsjVvare to-be established (at R-arO; ■(■■./.■toiiga and' Niue. These bodies are. to'.be i? J.-: partly, elective and partly nominative. ■5X The Councils shall have power to make or ordinances which must not be fv'.-irepxigiiant. to New Zealand.'laws, Tho a' .Councils shall not have power to borrow 'J/- , money. A. High with one or moro -,C :■ Judges is to" be''established, and: its ?-l sjudgments:may be enforced .in the i;v; ! .Supreme Court' of New Zealand. There ;;. .j.will-be,a right of - appeal to the Supreme, Court of New Zealand. The calendar ' i;i in ;the; islands is to be one day'behind ?;i : the calendar'in New-Zealand.. ■