THE PENAL CODE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 65, 17 March 1936, Page 6

THE PENAL CODE.

IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT. (To tlio Editor.) Having noted with interest a letter "Our Penal Code," by Herbert Mulvihill, under the "Public Mind" column, I sliould like to substantiate the ease. Are we not living in an ago where everything is speeded up to save time and economy, yet certain things lag behind to our disgrace in this fair land, even Conservative England beating us in this respect of reform, doing away with such a costly business to the taxpayers as imprisonment for debt. I feel sure the present Government will not allow property to usurp liberty, for which men in the past have fought and died. The law is illogical, because, in effect, it means that the inherent power of the Court to imprison for contempt of Court is exercisable according to the whim or dictate of a creditor, ail order having been made by the Court for payment, and the debtor having failed to pay, the creditor may have a warrant issued for the committal of the debtor. The law also says in theory that a man is not liable to imprisonment for his poverty, but for hie disobedience of a Court order. "A fraudulent debtor shall be punished, but an honest debtor shall not," states Halsbury. The whole thing seems nonsensical, to add to the burden of the country costs of a man who already has nothing. Surely we have advanced past the Middle Ages, when property was the all-important as against liberty and the demoralising effect of imprisonment; let's see to it. ADVANCE NEW ZEALAND.