Judges under fire from Mr Minto

Press, 8 September 1982, Page 3

Judges under fire from Mr Minto

PA Auckland Judges came under fire again yesterday over their handling of Springbok tourrelated cases, this time from Mr John Minto, chairman of HART. Mr Minto, however, took the opposite line from the Minister of Police, Mr Couch, who had said some judges had been weak. Mr Minto said yesterday that the judges handling anti-tour protesters had become increasingly tough in handing down their sentences. ■?■.

“A year after the tour, the courts are becoming much tougher,” he said. “I think it is the direct result of irresponsible comments, from people such as the Minister .of Police, Mr Couch. He has the ear of people who would like to see heavier sentences put on. I think the courts are

reacting to that.” Mr Minto said people with identical charges had been given very different sen-, tences. In Rotorua, a woman charged with trespass was given 16 hours community service last year. This year, some people involved in the same incident, on the same charge, were sentenced to between 100 and 120 hours of community service. Others got periodic detention, he said. HART would take up the question of sentencing at a march on Sunday from Eden Park . to Mount Eden Prison. It would be a peaceful one aimed at commemorating the anniversary of the death of the black-eonsciouness leader, Steve Biko. and the third test between the All Blacks and the Springboks, said Mr Minto. As a precaution, the Auck-

land Rugby Union is already guarding its ground, but Mr Minto said Saturday’s Wallabies test would see only a group of people picketing to draw attention to the “Aboriginal problem in Australia.” Mr Minto said the guest speaker for Sunday’s march, which is being organised by MOST (Mobilisation, to. Stop the Tour),, would be Mr Sacky Namugdngo, from the South-West African People’s Organisation (5.W.A.P.0.). Other speakers would talk about the:? six “political prisoners”"being held in Mount Eden Prison on tourrelated offences, he said. ... ;K. ■ During, the -protest, white crosses would be placed near the prison wall to commemorate the number of prisoners who had died in detention in South Africa.