DEATH PENALTY WANTED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 142, 28 March 1946, Page 3

DEATH PENALTY WANTED

JUSTICES’ ASSOCIATION REMITS WOULD ACT AS A GREAT * DETERRENT (P.A.) INVERCARGILL, March 27. Remits asking for reinstatement of the death penalty for murder were carried at the annual conference of the Federation of the New Zealand Justices’ Association. Opposition to the remits was voiced by the Hon. B. C. Robins, M.L.C., 91-year-old delegate from Tauranga. “We do not create life and therefore we have no right to take it,’’ Mr Robins declared. “A man should be punished for his crime, but should not forfeit his life.” He added that he considered life sentence was. enough. There had been people sentenced to death who had been innocent of any crime. It was his opinion that very few people who committed murder considered the consequences. It had beer, said that murders were increasing in New Zealand, Mr Robins continued. He had doubted that and had obtained official figures for the five years before the Act doing away . with capital punishment was: passed and for the five years it had been in operation. Those figures had shown that during the first period 32 persons had been charged with murder, 12 had been found guilty and eight found to be insane. During the five years the Act had been in operation 23 persons had been charged with murder, 11 being found guilty and four insane. 11l supporting Mr Robins, Mr A. W. Jones asked how many of the dele- ■ gates would be prepared to act as a hangman. He thought murderers should be made to serve longer terms of imprisonment. Mr G. Stratton, Dunedin, expressed the opinion that the.death penalty for murder would be a deterrent. If a man were sentenced to imprisonment for life then that sentence should be for the term of his natural life. Mr H. W. Short, Wellington, said that the Wellington Association took a serious view of the matter. If a man took a life then he should forfeit his own life. Mr Robins had not referred to premediated murders. Mr Short quoted such cases and said that those murderers had been sentenced to imprisonment for the term of their natural lives. That meant 21 years and some had come out in 15 years and were enjoying the fruits of the world. He felt reinstatement of capital punishment would act as a great deterrent. Remits from Auckland and Wellington respectively which were carried on the voices, were: “This conference views with alarm the number of murders being committed in the country and requests that favourable consideration be given to reinstatement of the death penalty for murder.” “This conference recommends _to • the Government that capital punishment for murder be reinstated on the Statute Book and also that birching be administered when ordered by a Judge of the Supreme Court.”