PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3171, 23 August 1917, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

THE FINANCIAL DEBATE AN AMENDMENT REJECTED SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER MINISTERS UNITED TO WIN THE -; WAR. Tho ligislativo Council met at 2.30 p.m. JURIES ACT AMENDMENT. Tie Hon. 0. SAMUEL resumed tho "debate on the Hon. T. MacGregor's motion for tho second reading of the Juries Act Amendment Bill. Mr. Samuel opposed the proposal to make a threefourths verdict of tho jury effective in criminal cases where disagreement had arisen. He said that he regarded the proposal as an attack by way of encroachment upon the nation's privilege of trial by jury. The' only advantage to be gained by the abandonment of tho principle of unanimity in juries hearing criminal oases, with the consequent reduction of the privileges of accused persons, was the saving of a certain amount of trouble and money. It was true that' Britain, 'the British Dominions, and some portions of the United States were alone in demanding unanimity, but that was not an argument Tor any change. Tho British people had reason to be proud of thoir judicial system. If three members of a jury of twelve men were iii favour of acquittal, then there was a reasonable doubt of the guilt of the cused person. It was a, sound principle of British law that the accused person was entitled to the benefit of any doubt. Mr. Samuel spoke for ( two hours in defence of the jury system, which he regarded as the palladium, of British' liberties. So long as the tub-' ieot could appeal to a jury_ of his fel-low-citizens against oppression and injustice, autocracy could not rear its head in British communities. Any interference with tho jury system would weaken it, and to that, extent threaten liberties that had been bought with blood and sacrifice. The debate was adjourned, and the Council rose at 4.85 p.m.