JUDGE ON CRIME

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20950, 1 November 1939, Page 5

JUDGE ON CRIME

A SOCIAL PROBLEM NO SIMPLE SOLUTION NOT AN ECONOMIC QUESTION (By Telegraph.—Press Association) INVERCARGILL, Tuesday In opening the quarterly session of the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Ostler, in his address to the Grand Jury, congratulated the district on the absence of serious crime, there being three cases for trial, only two of which were for the Grand Jury’s consideration as a true bill previously had been returned against one. In both the others—rape, and negligent driving to cause injury and failing to stop—there would be no difficulty in finding true bills. “It is desirable that all people in this country should take an intelligent interest in, and form sound opinions on, the administration of criminal law,” continued His Honour.

“Many sincere people hold the belief that crime is purely a medical question, and contend if the treatment of criminals were handed over to psychiatrists they could be cured of the tendency to crime. Judging by recent public utterances of others they consider that though crime is partly a medical question, it is mostly economic and when the present economic system has been changed crime will disappear, and the police can be disbanded.

“It is not so simple as that. No doubt a certain proportion of crime is due to mental defect in some cases, but not many. Medical science may be able to do something to help such to become normal citizens, but the great majority appear to be of normal intelligence. Many are above normal but their moral sense is blunted. How could a change in the economic and political system cure them?

“For over 20 years Russia had enjoyed an extreme form of socialistic government, but despite the fact that it had a most severe criminal code, it was unable to abolish crime; indeed recent history makes it plain that some of her most cold-blooded and ruthless criminals have obtained supreme power in the State. What could be more criminal than their conduct in Poland? There is an element of truth in the assertion that economic hardship tends to increase crime, specially against property, yet it persists when there is no Hardship.

“It surely is illusory to suggest that crime would disappear if the present economic system were swept away, and the State became the sole owner of all property, and the sole controller of the means of production and distribution. Until human nature is changed society will always have the criminal as a social problem; he will crop up in all classes, and will not come only from the children of the poor.”