POLICE CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 164, 14 July 1930, Page 6

POLICE CONTROL.

A CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION. (To the Editor.) I not: V Under-Secretary for Justice is to act. . , Miirently temporarily, as Police Commissioner. It is not clear "if he is to relinquish liis position as Under-Secretary f or Justice 'while he is Commissioner of The point is constitutionally important, xii Under-Secretary for Justice i 3 the permanent representative of the Minister of Justice in matters that relate to the judicial side of onr legal system. The Commissioner of Police is the permanent head of a side of our l e <r a | system that is presided over by the executive authority. In a word, the new arrangement will apparently amalgamate the judicial and executive sides. The real test of government by law is the absolute separation of judicial and executive authority, otherwise we shall have all the forms of law, but all the realities of despotism. Imagine a complaint in the administration of law against the police beino forwarded to the Under-Secretary for Justice for redress when the Under-Secretary is acting as Commissioner of Police! Economy is necessary —possibly—but not iri this direction. If such cconomy is persisted in the Government we may as well ask one of our judges to act as Crown Solicitor—an absurd position--but nevertheless in line with the new departure H.S.X. '