The Jury Law.

Kaikoura Star, Volume XIV, Issue 745, 8 June 1894, Page 3

The Jury Law.

Under the new Criminal Code Act which has been passed and is now in force, the Judges have the discretion of allowing juries, except in capital cases, to separate at the adjournment of the Court during the progress of the case. Thus if the Judge thinks proper it will not be necessarv, as has been the case in the past, for a jury where the case lasts for some days to be taken away from their homes at night. Hitherto the theory of the law has been to treat jurymen in a manner little better than animals. They have been grudingly fed when not allowed to go to their homes, and the sleeping accommodation has been of the most primitive character. Why this should be it is hard to say, except that it is one of the remnants of the Dark Ages which have clung to the skirts of the law and refused to be dislodged. Of course, the experiment of trusting jurymen, who have the liberty of any man in their power, and who may be approached either in the direction of acquittal or conviction, is an experiment the result of which, no doubt, will be watched with considerable interest. His Honour Mr Justice Denniston yesterday told a jury, when dismissing them at the luncheon adjournment, that if anyone spoke to them on the case they were engaged in, and they reported it to the Court, he would take steps to make an example of the offender. It is also important to note that the discretion is placed in the hands of the Judges. There may be cases obviously of such a character as would render the granting of the privilege a matter for serious consideration. Give a case in which public opinion is, so to speak, stirred to its depths, and there would obviously be some danger in granting the privilege. But as a whole, and in the majority of cases, there does not seem to be any more danger than in allowing juries in civil cases to disperse.— Truth.