COURT OF APPEAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 77, 9 July 1910, Page 2

COURT OF APPEAL.

HABITUAL CRIMINALS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. In the Appeal Court the case Rex v. Steele is being heard. This is to decide what constitutes an habitual criminal. The Act says that where a a prisoner has been previously convicted on, at least four occasions of certain offences he may be so declared. Steele was sentenced on four separate indictments at Auckland in May, 1907, and again in 1909, for nine similar offences, including forgery. Judge Edwards declared him an habitual criminal, but prisoner contended that he not been previously convicted en four occasions.' The Judge reserved the case for the Appeal Court. The case turns on the meaning of "occasion," whether the Court can consider each of several charges and "occasion," or whether it must look at the date of each conviction. The Solicitor-General appeared for the Crown, and Steele appeared in penon. Later. The Court of Appeal in.the Steele case affirmed the declaration) that he was an habitual criminal. The same question was then argued with regard to Powelka, in which case the Court also decided that it had power to declare him an 'habitual crimt inal.