POLICH METHODS
ENFORCEMENT OF ANTI-SHOUTING AND fllOfOR REGULATIONS
CRITICISM BY MR: JUSTICE
EDWARDS
His Honour Mr. Justice Edwards year terejay had something to say abpu.t the ttajneriu wliich tho'police enforce the regulations arid the motor regulations also. His remarks were tho outconie of an appeal which had been Dia.de to him agaiust thp conviction.of a bpnnaid for gi) offonca against tho I'orrpor laws. "This is war legislation," said IJis Honour (referring of course to.theantishqutiug regulations), "and it is not for me to criticise wliat is necessary in iva,r legislation ov the measurea talfO" to enforce it That is for the Administration to consider. But if it wern 'anything but war legislation I should say that it jjj ut Jijast qiiestjonabje wher "tlipr it .should bo enforcod in thjs way. friifl polico watched a person, gavo no notice whatever. that slie was charged with a breach of the law, allowed those Itvho were the occasion of the breach to walk away without taking the smallest trouble to ascertain who they were, and fiome days afterwards lajd an. infgrniaJtiqi). It must he quite obvious that 5n gueli circumstances there is no possibility of a defence, unless by spine chapeo shot the policemen can be found to havo been mistaken. It is impo's-i-iiblo to prepare a case or bring a der Jepce if there should be one. The onus ei'ems to he on the defendant of shpw--sng that ho or she is a good boy or a gqod, girl, as the case may bo. ■ '-I think the thing lias.been carried ( matters which are lipfc connected •with war logisjation. • I think it has s>Qpn carried to raptor offences-rexceed--sng the speed limit. As to that, there <ca(i bo no doubt that I niay express an opinion. . . . The policeman stands and sees hundreds of vehicles go by at more than the regulation speed, and ultimately the thinks it is time to assert himself or the majesty of tho law and the .dignity of the Police Force, and he .selects some harmless jquth against whom he decides to lay an information. He does jipt tell the offender,hut.a few days later the ipformatiqn is laid. In that case tho person charged cannot possibly. bring any evidence. He may have driven :rnund the particular corner a dozen tjnips that .da.y, and even if ho. has.done H only onso he cannot look round to find (as lie-might if charged . at : the tipie),people to. say .how fast' lie was going. I am very far from suggesting •that the motor, regulations '.should .npt. "be enforced, and rigidly "enforced, hut they .- should . be .". "sen-, sible, and.motoring, at six miles an hour appears rkliqulpua, .even .goupd •homers. I dpubt if any yblucje cQnld be driven round corners-at six. miles an hour unless it was travelling ,pn 3mpetus.it I|a4 gained. >...'. ... "It must b,q "ohviqus that, on this qyay, opposite to.this very site, mbtpr vehicles are habitually driven at an exr cessive rate of at as much •as 30 miles an hour arid overi. The . idrivers who go at that rate. are. never caught, and the principal offenders' are tlie "Post Office officials, ..who should'he very easily got at.. vPipy ,shqu ; }d not he ,■ allowed ajong'tiie..mail) •rpughfares of the city .at a dangerqiis speed. •-They certainly do .it, and they certainly should he punished,. Of course ij; is'very iiice for" the to go_at an excessive speed, and very thrillingI think, hpwever, that they should be treated like everybody else.' The people who are caught are generally those that iire pretty, harmless.'. Those who are really dangerous to .thp public go by like'"a flash,.and- generally nothing is heard aboutit." ■ '...''-. ' ,
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 75, 21 December 1917, Page 7
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602POLICH METHODS Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 75, 21 December 1917, Page 7
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