FAILURE TO PARADE
YOUNG MAN FINED £3 OBJECTION TO MILITARY SERVICE “It is because of my belief in the Lord Jesus Christ that I have taken this stand. It is not because of any evil I have done that I appear before you today,” said Roger Leslie McNeil to Mr L. N. Ritchie. S.M.. when he pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to failing to attend a military parade. McNeil was fined £3. Sub-Inspector C. H. Reardon said that McNeil had deliberately ignored a call-up notice. He had applied to the appeal committee for exemption on the ground of conscientious objection. but was refused exemption. He seemed to have taken a dogmatic stand. McNeil said he wished to follow Christ. “I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said. “So do I.” said the Magistrate. “Praise the Lord,” said McNeil.) “You will be conscious of the fact, no doubt, that the Lord Jesus Christ would not take up arms against his fellow men.” The Magistrate said he could not retry what had been done by another tribunal. This would cost McNeil a fine and if he went on refusing to i attend parades he might end in prison. I McNeil said that three reasons influenced the appeal committee. He was not well and had not been working; he was not a member of any particular denomination, for which he had reasons. After a pause he said he could not remember the third reason. He said he was sincere as a conscientious objector and was prepared to stand by his beliefs. He did not wish to retreat from the stand he had taken. The Magistrate said he could go into a non-combatant unit. McNeil said he was prepared to pay into the public fund the difference between his pay and a soldier’s pay. “It is not for you to say what you will or will not do,” said the Magistrate. It was McNeil’s responsibility as a citizen to undertake military training, said the Magistrate. The fine would !be greater if he came before the Court [again and they would go on being progressively greater until such time as he would be dealt with under the statute
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27919, 16 March 1956, Page 3
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366FAILURE TO PARADE Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27919, 16 March 1956, Page 3
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