SUPPRESSION OF NAMES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 215, 11 September 1925, Page 6

SUPPRESSION OF NAMES.

The statement that Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., made this morning on suppression of names is valuable, for the reason that it lays down the principles on which the magistrate is proceeding The Court, he says, has decided to continue the practice of suppressing the names of first offenders of all ages, who come within the suppression statute, with certain exceptions—"where an offence has often been repeated, as bookmakers, well-known shop-lifters, hoodlums, cheque passers, or where one or two persons combine to commit offences and do so; also assaults on children, unprovoked assaults, or anything of a nature that the public has a right to know about." It is satisfactory to have such a classification, but does not Mr. Poynton to some extent weaken his case when he uses the words "anything of a nature that the public has a right to know about?" This is one of the difficulties in the problem of suppression, and perhaps the main one. It might be argued that the public has a right to know about every case that comes before a Court, and through the Press it has that right, so far as the facts are concerned, save that magistrates have the power to suppress names in certain cases. The public interest may demand that the name of a first offender in the classification which Mr. Poynton thinks is entitled t6 suppression should be published. We doubt whether Mr. Poynton places sufficient value on the deterrent effect of publication. He says that "in the case of an offender whose name is suppressed there is a strong inducement for him not to offend again," for he knows that he will not receive this concession twice. But, on the other hand, would not the knowledge that publicity would follow-arrest help to deter some persons from committing a first offence? Moreover Mr. Poynton's statement seems to represent his individual view. The objection remains that magistrates do not act uniformly in this matter, and it may again be urged that more should - be done to frame a common policy.