JURIES AND MAJORITY VERDICT.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18127, 17 July 1924, Page 14

JURIES AND MAJORITY VERDICT.

BILL BEFORE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

I>**3S ABBOCUTIOH TtUKMUV.)

WELLINGTON, July 16.

In the Legislative Council this afternoon, in moving the second reading of the . Juries Amendpient Bill, which provides that a majority of five-sixths may be accepted in criminal cases, except capital the Hon. J. MaoGregor said this was the sixth time that the measure was before the Council.. He quoted the opinions of judges of the Supreme Court in support of the proposals, and recalled a recent case in which the jury twice disagreed, and there was no further success when the case was removed to another' centre. _ It was reasonable to assume that this was due to the prisoner having a* friend on the jury. The proposal was justified if only because Of the saving in the expense of re-trialß. The Hon. 0. Samuel opposed the Bill, maintaining there must be No jurist of celebrity favoured au alteration of the present system. The proposals would not effect any improvement. Unanimity was essential to the liberty of the subject. The great majority of English-speaking countries 6upported that principle. The change was unjustified for the sake of saving a few hundred pounds in re-trials. The Hon. J.'P. Campbell supported the proposal. No more salutary or more desirable measure had been ever introduced. Sir Francis Bell said he was entirely i in favour of - the Bill in the interests of justice. He expressed the opinion that by far the greater number of i those practising in the Courts of lawwould support the measure. The Hon. T. "W. Hislop said that i before any alteration was made the necessity for the change should be demonstrated. It would be a backward step to alter a law that had prevailed for a thousand years, and which iiad operated to the benefit of those who might be innocent. ' The Bill was read a second tim&.