CRIMINAL CASES

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 89, 12 October 1934, Page 11

CRIMINAL CASES

DOMINION FIGURES

A MARKED DECREASE

. The number of criminal cases in Magistrate's Courts during 1933 (47,431) was much lower than in 1932, the decrease being 5594, or 11 per cent., while the summary convictions (37,6*71) also show a decrease of 11 per cent, from those for 1932. Both the totatl cases and the summary convictions are tho IoY/est figures recorded since 1923. These observations are contained in the annual report on justice statistics.

The summary convictions for the year 1933 represent tho lowest rate recorded in the last ton years, being only 24.48 per 1000 of mean population, as compared with 27.73 per 1000 in 1932. The greater proportion of the cases dealt with are in respect of somewhat insignificant offences, and. a comparison of the figures for 1933 with those of 1932 shows that during the year under Teview reductions "occurred in drunkenness, with a decrease of 492 convictions, minor traffic offences (1397), offences against property (1061), and breaches of the Unemployment Act (890). ' - Tho general statistics refer to all eases dealt with in Magistrate's Courts, including those in which a person is charged •with two or more offences committed simultaneously. If only the principal offence is counted in each instance, the number of cases in 1933 is reduced from 47,431 to 30,855, the latter representing a decrease of 25 per cent, from 1932.

Tho total number of cases, in. which sentences were passed upon persons brought before the Supreme Court during 1933 shows a decrease of 197, or 11.52 per cent., from 1932. The number of persons sentenced in the Supreme Court during 1933 was 530, or 10.67 per cent., fewer than in 1932. Offences against the person and against property both, show decreases iv the number of distinct persons sentenced during the year, while forgery, etc., shows an almost negligible increase.