PLEA FOR PARDON

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 166, 8 April 1919, Page 9

PLEA FOR PARDON

CASE OF ALICE PARKINSON

MINISTER MAKES FIRM REPLY

■ Another appeal for tho . release 'from prison of the woman' Alice Parkinson was madoto tho Minister-of Justice (the Hon. T.'JI.. Wilfdrd), yesterday-by a deputation of women representing the comniiiteo which has for four years beon asKiUR for tho.releaso. of this'prisoner. ■ It is four years since the crime was committed, mid the facts are perhaps not fresh in ; tho'.riioiriory' : ,6t"-. those peoplu who have not been .continuously interested in the case. ; .Tho woman was tried at Napier, and found 'guilty of the : manslaughter ■, of Albert Wesi . The man was shot.by Parkinson on Maroh i, 1915, and the'trial took, place in Napier on Jimp 9 and lu of the kame, year.- There evidence" that- Parkinson had been treated with extreme, cruelty .by West. Tho woman had borne a child/ ami.West had,- -so ;it )vas alleged,' promised ..on more than one occasion to many her. Tbut had-/never kept" tho. -promise—on jtho' contrary,: had. frequented the copipaiiy of another woman. On,the'strength of-.promises-made, it was alleged,-Park-' inson-.had furnished a home in preparation for tho raarriaßO which West had, promised, and had paid for this from her own money. The jury found. Parkinson : guilty, but added to 'the , verdict are? commendation to mercy. Tho ■ J udge sentenced tho prisoner to imprisonment for life.-,-- • •-■■'; ■ •' ■ :

■ Tho. deputation jvhjch waited on Mr. .Wilford yesterday asked for the. release of the-woman , -on .the ground that she had had extreme provocation for her crime,,,and. that in view of all-tho circumstances she had • suffered enough by being imprisoned for four years already. A- suggestion .was made that .if pardons were to be given at 'peace , time,' Alice 'Parkinson sliould Yq one of the prisoners pardoned..' , ■" ' ]". ■ ■'■■."••"." '■■'■' '"'■ , Minister congratulated the deputa-tion-on the moderate and-reasonable and fair, way in ■'which the■ case had been, .presented.. , . Tho greatest; difficulty of a Minister of Justice ".in such a case was not to le't his' heart' Tun.away with'.his lead..' It was-very- hard fora Minister to say ."No" to an'appeal forclemency to an individual piTsbneiv "But," heboid,. "It": is -an axiom ■accepted in ordered society that the' 6ffenders-against "its' laws, niiist 'pay'tho penalty/ for' , their-disobedi-ence. -Were-none paid there would soon be no law. The thief who is.sorry- is not forgiven ,1111(1 sent awav to commit, , if he chooses, more theft.' ''Tim penitent is not absolved without doing penance. • Wrongdpirig would dominate' the world if repelitttiice was the' punkhnieut and forgiveness the reward! V'■"■ '■'"•"• "'."' ■ ' '■''

■'Now'what 'do yoiir . arguments' amount to? They amount to this, that '"jou-'e'ny that -Alice Parkinson has been sufficiently' punished. Are'you'capable of deciding. bucli a question y I think, not. Nor do I think that , any' , "section of the public is capable of deciding such a question. To weigh evidence; to judge the value ot the, same, and to apportion punishment for wrongdoing with equity aud fairness ■requires years of • experience arid much thought and care. Alice Pni'kinson- was tried in a Court'of Law before a Judge of wide experience, and it seems to me that for a. .'Minister of Justice in aiiiso like the ijjresfnt to review the sentence imposed,' if he were able, would be wrong, hn'.-l unjustifiable. At the same time 1 deplore the-fact that, there is no law on our Statute 1 Book which grants to a ccnvicted person a right of appeal, on the facts. It is, in my opinion, a travesty on justico that the question of α-chnngo of venuo in. a civil case may be taken even to the.Privy Council, while a mail or-woman tried for murder and sentenced to imprisonment for life has /no xight to appeal even for, mitigation . ot sentence'. In my Crimes Amendment Bill of last year, which passed the House of Representatives without.a division, the people's representatives affirnied the prin-' ciplq that a convicted 'person, ■'• cyeii though he or she.' had pleaded guilty (which was not the.case with Alice Parkinson), had a right to appeal to-lhe Court of Appeal, wliicli Court could, inter alia quash : or reduce the. sentence imposed. This Bill was lost in the Legislative Council.'Had it been the Inn - of the land to T day Alice Parkinson nduld.have ha'd- a'review- of -her ssentence- by vii. Bench of- Judges in" our 'Courts of Law. That, in my opinion; , is where the'review should take place, not in the office of "Hit Minister of Justice. I hope that shortly my Bill-will be part of the statute law. of the land, and then-Alice Parkinson or any other person convicted of a crime will'have the to have her, senteuce. ■reviewed, , and, ifMhe Court of Appeal agrees, reduced or quashed-." ■••'•