Youth Juries To Hear Traffic Cases Proposed

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31120, 25 July 1966, Page 8

Youth Juries To Hear Traffic Cases Proposed

(N.Z. Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 24. A system of youth juries as a means of decreasing the number of juvenile traffic offences will be suggested by junior delegates of the National Party conference in Wellington. The Government has indicated its interest in the scheme, in which young

people between the ages of 17 and 25 serve on juries to try young traffic offenders. The suggestion comes from

the Canterbury-Westland division of the Junior National Party and the Minister of Justice (Mr Hanan) said in Wellington the Government was interested in the scheme. A junior delegate from Riccarton, Mr R. A. Ross, said the system, which originated in the United States, was being suggested as one method of cutting the rising toll of traffic offences by young people in New Zealand. “It was first tried in Houston, Texas, in October, 1963, under Judge M. Gordon and in the first year of its operation 12,000 young people participated in the scheme.

“In that year there was a drop of 20.9 per cent in driving offences involving young people in Houston,” he said.

“Also in 27 categories of reported arrests involving young people there was a marked reduction of offences in 12 categories.” Youth juries in one form or another were operating in 30 American states and Judge Gordon had received inquiries about the scheme from 50 other countries, he said. Mr Hanan said the Government was interested. “The Government is ready to explore and learn about the scheme. But we have no indication as yet of any widespread support for such a system,” he said. The age range suggested for the system was chosen because this age group is the one most involved in traffic cases.