SUPREME COURT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 185, 15 November 1910, Page 5

SUPREME COURT

CHIEF JUSTICE ON THE CRIMES ACT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Monday. The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court opened to-day before Sir Robert Stout. In his charge to the Grand Jury, his Honor said he was glad to be able to tell the jury that the Crimes Act would come into force at the beginning of next year, constituting a new step in prison reform. Prisoners were not to be treated merely as men up for punishment. Steps were being taken to reform them and help them to lead better lives in future. would be paid to them if they worked well. He hoped the means now being adopted would have a beneficial effect. 'We- can't hope," Sir Robert added, "that any scheme will be at once satisfactory. and we can't yet expect there will be no criminals. Crimes may be the result of heredity, and a man's physical, moral or mental well-being may have been weakened. We have seen by statistics that criminality is a matter of descent, and we can't expect, therefore ,to have no offences, but by taking them in hand it should be possible to make good citizens of them. At all events, it is a noble act of the Legislature, and the Minister of Justice deserves every credit for his efforts in this direction." The calendar for the session is fairlv *• - * TWO ASSAULT CASES. Wellington, Last Night. A young man named John Harrison was convicted of assault' and robbery, lie was remanded till to-morrow for sentence. Ernest Thos. White, a youth, charged with assaulting a female, was found guiltv of common assault and remanded till to-morrow for sentence. CHRISTCHURCH SESSIONS. Christchurch. Monday. The criminal sessions opened this morning. There were charges against eight persons. Mr. Justice Chapman said the small calendar was a matter for congratulation. but there was an unusually large number of sexual offences. He referred to the fact that the principal witness in one case was under five years of age and said he found that young children were particularly good witnesses, especially in the matter of identification. FALSE PRETENCES. Christchurch, Last Night. In the Supreme Court to-day, Benjamin Scarby pleaded guilty to a charjre of false pretences by obtaining £32 by means of a valueless cheque and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment.