POLICE PROSECUTOR

Hokitika Guardian, 25 August 1932, Page 8

POLICE PROSECUTOR

IS NEEDED IN NEW ZEALAND

CRITICISM OF PRESENT SYSTEM

’ -CHRISTCHURCH, August 24

That. ,isi.e>y Zealand „,d(j well '■to ipjipw the oxample./of iijhe appointment of' permanent ; pol,ce. ( prosecutors to /represent .the ..,Qro.wn;j«t all Lower Court sittings was an opinion expressed this morning by a; weLf known Christchurch solicitor, who recently returned, from a ypdt abroad, i lie.bad been to.'d by -a .retired •Sydney? ' magistrate that the .system in use,, in Australia saved the 'puh'ic thousfiiid.v of .pounds, each year,, as well as train-, pig, men who could give points, in.,many; cases ip counsel. Christchurch (has /nothing to com- ; plain of in.’that'regard,”.;<he said. ;‘The city hajs two exceptionally capable court officers in .senk>rrSergeant Fp.\ and Sub-inspector .(Edwards; but ,'ihierei -are many .places 'in (New Zealand \vhere| I the IPoliae Department would,cairn ■ nn-shLrably /more respect if.- it, wore < represented by /pen, properly trained and capable of presenting a good case .expeditiously,’’ For some . time .Australia had been ‘ using specially, trained. pen at the' > .metropolitan courts; he stated, but it i was oitty within recent years that these /officers had won the regard they deserved.. Now they were ipaid £3O a year more ..than other .officers p.f',.simijlur rank, arid; .in.;,the pf. “'.senior" J prosecutors, £SO a year pore. The ''Peers we r e not .being, brought info, the force' from outside but wore selected from the enlisted men as;.. showing iprr/piise. From “beat” duty they prnIm+ed v.tn, ,the onl.if.e' 'court ms (. ushers ;and orderlies. There .they had a.n op-i'lortun'ty-of caring 'h<*w warrants were (issued ; they learned, hory to,; handle ’■’.risonws; and picked up ihintsjon .court iprocedure'- and .the correct laying a charge. .((“ f; : ’-“Fre.nt.ir/Vy thf 1 odteer... a “clerk of: court’ and. tleve'ops ithp, ‘p''o7 'secuting voice.! ” said .the -solicitors ..‘TTe learns, when •to - " ’be ..gent’e and. ~when toi. (thunder,’. and. (generally,•%' [proves his knowledge of -human nature. •Tn this ' manner some very fine ;ip?dff iouters ’have /been : was.to]di Shy. an, .ex-magistrate in Sydney that i.tjiey • save . '.the -public. 'thousands .of; [pounds a 'year .-and . that jmatch nine isblicitof'S yi ten hi "present; i!-it; -a. crs.fi to cpdrt.’’ ...

tT'he so’ieitor referred to th- -different Jsyeteni in ’iose 'in > Ne"' r Zealand, 'b.v .which, he said, a police -officer became la -prosecutor “by • accident -of seniority (Here ;oyeary -man .had,(to,;.gp through l-'the MTji'lhh. .He might itoyi-on ,'the .city ~beut f,of year,a ; he-imight.-lgo 'to'i'a dis-trict.-office or. .a •<country station, -or.-to itthe detective -office. Aftej* jthh“ L teen ' ye«rswiif» he •p»s§od i : l^js;i^Milniita, n itions and. .showed (himself.- a -diligent -officer, ■ -became SargOftfit.. • ;His then, becajne -«<-;m-a|tar •• i sof passing examinations and of seniority. j]t was as ;*ehiOr-sergeant -or chief , detective ■/ (offices -of equal rank . and |pay) that he-first became ,a ipiwecutor ( with work to be done nearly, every |day in the court. These duties were ithrown on him when his only previous (experience was in conducting mquests (or country courts.

i ‘IT here is quite/sufficient work being iput through the courts in New Zealand j ’-ach -day to warrant a permanent Ofjficer being /appointed ;in ..each of ;the bities at. least,’,’ said the solicitor. “It jis a very , important duty /.from both Ithe police and .the public, .point !.of’ •view.. The . prosecutor.. represents ’ f the' (Crown and Often, she has -to light coses iii gainst, leading barristers. 'He has to (know the law and *keep ,alive to-changes •in it, and he .has- to be alert to .all that arise during the presenta jtion. As important as 'anything , else jin a court where speed ;is. important, jhe has to cut out al! extraneous evi (dence—-a. difficult -thing where sometimes case* are . bni.lt mp on the e violence of many witness; s.

, “Christchurch has .a very fine prosecutor in 'Senior-Sergeant Fox,” lie continued. “He knows .the il!aw better than most solicitors, and his manner of presentation and quickness ,to see .U; point make him. an admirable officer for tfie work. The New Zenland Deipartment • should make -more use of officers of this sort, and it- would be ;well advised to adopt a similar system ito that in use in Sydney.”