LESS CRIMINALS NOW.
CHANGE FOR THE BETTER. SIR ROBERT STOUT'S VIEW. (By Telegraph.—Special to " Star.") WELLINGTON, this day. Discussing with your correspondent the changes which have taken place during his 26 yeara as Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout was emphatic that New Zealand's population to-day was less criminal than when lie first became interested in the subject. "I remember 60 years ago there would "ba 30 or 40 trials at the Dunedin quarterly sittings, when the whole population of the colony was only 200,000," he said. "Tt has been a great change for the ibetter." Sir Robert attributes New Zealand 3 low percentage of crime to the success of the probation and reformative systems. New Zealand commenced to break away from English methods in 1886, when the Hon. J. A. Tole introduced the Probation Act. Sir Robert Stout advocated open-air employment for prisoners when he was an active Parliamentarian; "but," he said, "they would not listen to mc. Of course, thougli probation and improved conditions have saved many from returning to a life of crime, we must remember that, unfortunately, about onequarter of the people in gaol are mental defectives, aijd this phase of prison reform requires far graver consideration than we have yet given it. Our proportion of, reformations is larger than in any part of the world, but we have still to deal with mental defectives and help them to conquer their defects." When Sir Robert was reminded of the large increase "in divorce during the period he had been associated with the New Zealand Courts, he replied that conditions for divorce were very difficult until 1867. Divorce was only allowed after heating a case 'by three judges sitting in Wellington, but in 1867 the Act was made far wider than the English ■law,) and the conditions continued to be made easier. "What is my opinion about it?" he concluded. "I think it has had rather a good than a bad effect, because if they do not. get the Courts to grant separation the conditions would go on without legal separation."
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 283, 30 November 1925, Page 8
Word Count
343
LESS CRIMINALS NOW.
Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 283, 30 November 1925, Page 8
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