Solicitor-General On Prosecutions

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30144, 30 May 1963, Page 14

Solicitor-General On Prosecutions

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 29. , “The need for a director of public prosecutions in New Zealand was reviewed a few years ago. After careful consideration it was decided that this office was unnecessary in New Zealand,” said the Solicitor-General, Mr H. R. C. Wild, Q.C., commenting on a suggestion that there were far to many criminal prosecutions in New Zealand because there was no director of public prosecutions.

Mr Wild said the suggestion reflected an impression that the director deals with, or scrutinises, all prosecutions in England, but that was not so

for co-ordination in the interests of uniformity. In New Zealand, with one centrally-controlled police the same need for independent supervision does not exist.

‘*lt is only proceedings for offences punishable with death, and others specially referred to him by a government department or appearing to him to be of importance or difficulty that he has a duty to institute.” he said “Then there is a further category of offences of serious nature which the police are obliged to report to him In respect of most of these there is a corresponding safeguard in New Zealand in the requirement of the consent of the Attorney-General before any prosecution can be com-, menced

“Nevertheless,” said Mr Wild, “the fact is that the police do consult the Crown Law Office or Crown prosecutors in al) cases of importance and difficulty It is also to be remembered that the Crimes Act. 1961. gave the judge the power to discharge any accused summarily before trial if after reading the depositions of evidence he thinks it proper to do so.”

“The establishment of the director’s office in England arose largely from the fact that they have not one, but something over 100 independent police forces, and there was an obvious need