N.Z. TRUTH The 'National Paper

NZ Truth, Issue 1237, 15 August 1929, Page 6

N.Z. TRUTH The 'National Paper

raURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1929

justice Should Be Humane

THE administration' of criminal law m New Zealand lias more than once commended itself to prominent jurists from overseas.. 'lii. many' respects, the 'Dominion teMs tHe world with its reformative methods of dealing' with delinquents. The widely-applied Probation system, Children's Courts" and other provisions of humane legislation all ,'tend to 'decrease crime. ' But the New Zealand police court procedure retains much of the antiquated Harshness of medieval times as exemplified m the disgraceful ordeal inflicted upon a poor woman, who, obviously mentally unbalanced, was brought before an Auckland magistrate a few days ago to answer a charge of child murder. She. is alleged to have strangled .her twin sons during a fit off dementia, and, it is stated, .was a voluntary inmate of a mental ■ hospital until quite recently;.. Yet. ghe was, haled before the Court and placed on the rack of ; mental torture. . Just what effect the ordeal had upon the ' unfortunate wdniaii was revealed m her pathetic outburst when the charge; was being read. . :." That she should be c.ailed/upon, to-answer the charge eventually and to be dealt with according to the principles o£ justicemust be expected, but to charge her within a few: days of the commission of her alleged offence, while obviously unfit to plead, is :not consistent^ with the Dominion's policy of humanitariariism m crime prevention. All the circumstances indicated very definitely that the woman is a pronounced, mental case wlibshoiild- have been kept away from the agonising atmosphere qf-' a '.criminal court, at least" iilitil such time as she regained her mental balance. "... .'■■);. '"■ ,; , : ;/ . . We. commend !th'e circumstances to. the Minister of Justice, m the -hope, that . he will. : set; on'ifppt.'.the, necessary: action, legislative or administrative, to ensure , ' thitf ;th6. ( ;fr^co^sK:bf : vjus'tice^ with any niore pitif ur:Vcenes" suciiJj&s'fthat m which, this; unfortunate woman was the . protagonist;^." v ■ .'... K^^v^^v-' '■ ' '■': >. '.■''•■■''-'•'•' • : ; . '. * •