MISDEMEANOURS AND OTHER OFFENCES ACT.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 57, 20 August 1877, Page 2

MISDEMEANOURS AND OTHER OFFENCES ACT.

The Hon. Dr Pollen has introduced in the Legislative Council an Act to alter the law relating to the apprehension and arrest of persons for misdemeanours and other offences. There are nine clauses, and the short title is " The Misdemeanours and Other Offenders, Arrfst Act, 1877.'* The Act gives power to constables to apprehend without warrant any person who has committed, or is suspected of committing, or about to commit a misde* meanour at common law, or by statute and to convey such person to a justice for trial. The provisions of the common law respecting such arrests ate to apply to apprehensions made as above. Whenever in offences punishable on summary coßtiction, a warrantor apprehension or order for committal of persons com* mitted of any such offence shall have been issued for the committal of any persons for default in payment of any sum recoverablesummararily before a Eesident Magistrate's Act, 1867, and in all cases where an ovder for the committal, of any 1 person under the Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Act, 1874 shall have been issued, a copy of such warrant ov order, by lelegiam or otherwise, my b& transmitted by one police officer to another s |fhe interpretation clause includes '"Justices of the Peace under the expression VRE"; and the expression^* chief officer of police" means Commissioner or a superintendent of police. The copy ; of the order is to be certified to. and such, certinfied copy shall authorise the ■■ chief officors or those directed by him to apprehend or arreat any person named in the warrant or order. The warrant or order for arrest need not be produced before arresting : • Every copy of a certified warrant, shall be prima facie evidence of the matter therein contained* Any person forging, or in any material way altering any certified copy of a warrant or order,, or who shall knowingly send a false copy, shall be guilty of felony, and liable to.peaa servitude for not exceeding seven years, or for any torm not less than one year> or to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding two years, with or without hard labour.