The Patea Mail. Established 1875. MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1883. JUSTICES’ JURISDICTION.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1099, 15 October 1883, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1883. JUSTICES’ JURISDICTION.

Amongst the Acts passed Inst session was a short one, entitled, the “ Justices of the Peace Act Amendment Act, 1883.” It almost exclusively with the summary jurisdiction of Justices, which is considerably curtailed. The provisions of the Act of 1882, which authorize charges of larceny, embezzlement, or obtaining money on false pretences, when the property does not exceed £5 in value, to be disposed of summarily—-are repealed. The clause which empowers summary convictions on confession of larceny under £lO is also repealed, but where the value of the property does not exceed 20s, or where the circumstances of the case appear to be of so trivial a nature as to be unfit for prosecution, the Justice or Justices retain the discretion of dismissing the case, although a felony may have been proved. The Justices may also, at their discretion, hear and determine any such charges, if the subject thereof does not exceed 40s, without giving the person charged the option ot being tried by a juiy. Under section 93 of the 1882 Act, it was provided that

boys under fourteen, on conviction or confession of larceny, might be imprisoned for any term not exceeding two months, and be once privately whipped either instead of or in addition to such imprisonment. This clause of the old Act has, however, been repealed, and henceforth Justices will have, no option of whipping in place of imprisonment. Juvenile offenders will have to go to gaol the same as adults, and serve their terms of imprisonment, either short or long, as the case may be. Some comment has been made in southern papers upon this part of the amended Act, and doubts are expressed of the wisdom of abolishing whipping, which it is considered was a punishment particularly suitable to the case of young larrikins, being short, sharp, and avoiding the contaminating influence of a gaol. We are disposed to agree with the view, and next session we hope the ninety-third clause of the 1882 Act, or one with similar meaning will be res'ored to the statute book.