RELEASE ON PAROLE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 147, 23 June 1945, Page 3

RELEASE ON PAROLE

APPLICATIONS TO BE HEARD

MILITARY DEFAULTERS P.A. WELLINGTON, Friday. The revision authorities recently appointed by the Government to consider applications from military defaulters for release on parole from detention camps will commence their sittings simultaneously at Auckland and Palmerston North next Wednesday according to statements made to-night by the acting-Prime Minister, Mr. Nash. ' Mr. Nash reiterated that before any applicant could hope to succeed with his application he must satisfy the revision authority that ne held a conscientious belief that would prevent his participation in war. "Statements to the effect that the regulations provide that sittings are to be held in camera are quite incorrect," said Mr. Nash, "The regulations provide that the attendance of the Press and the public at sittings of a revision authority is a matter for determination by the authorities themselves. I understand that both Mr. A. H. Johnstone, K.C.. and Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M, intend to hold their sittings openly to the public and Press. There may be occasions, as in all judicial proceedings, in which it is proper to hear certain matters in private, but these will be determined as they arise. "Notwithstanding statements made to the contrary, the regulations provide also for the attendance of representatives of the Crown at all sittings, and the Minister of Justice has already given effect to this provision in making the necessary appointments."

"The position of every man released on parole will be considered by the special tribunal so as to ensure that in the matter of earnings he is allowed to retain he will not be placed in a better position than if he were serving in the armed forces. . .

"The procedure of the revision authorities," concluded Mr. Nash, "is to be straight-forward and open, subject only to the regulations and to the evaluation of the merits of each application on the part of the two eminent gentlemen selected for the task." The decision of the War Cabinet to proceed with revision would tend to bring the position of men who lost their original appeals into line with the position in Great Britain, where provision is made for conscience cases to be reheard by appellant tribunals.