Corporal Punishment

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30192, 25 July 1963, Page 12

Corporal Punishment

The Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) led the National Party conference with strength and wisdom to reject a remit favouring the reintroduction of corporal punishment Sponsored by 15 electorates, this remit had strong backing within the party. The Prime Minister guided the delegates by requiring them to face the political realities inherent in the remit Reminding them of the fate of the Capital ' Punishment Bill two years ago, when on a free vote of the House 10 National Party members voted with the Opposition, Mr Holyoake forecast a similar fate for a bill introducing corloral punishment. Mr Holyoake was strongly supported by the Minister of Justice (Mr Hanan), who gave the

conference contemporary world views on corporal punishment. The United Nations has unanimously condemned it, and in Britain the Conservative Party’s conference has voted overwhelmingly against a reintroduction of corporal punishment. Mr Hanan cited overseas expert committees which had concluded that corporal punishment had no deterrent value, and he quoted instances in which corporal punishment might aggravate a tendency to major crime in a minor criminal. The National Party conference showed good sense in heeding the advice of Mr Holyoake and Mr Hanan by rejecting a remit that would have set the party back many years in social thought.