Retired Chch judge to head violence inquiry

Press, 19 April 1986, Page 9

Retired Chch judge to head violence inquiry

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

A retired Christchurch High Court judge, Sir Clinton Roper, will head the Government’s Committee of Inquiry into violence.

The Committee of Inquiry is part of the package announced earlier this week by the Minister of Justice, Mr Palmer, to deal with the wave of violent crime. Mr Palmer said the level of concern felt about the incidence of violent crime was such that measures which could be taken had to be taken.

Sir Clinton Roper had had a long association with criminal justice. He had been Crown Solicitor in Christchurch from 1961 to 1968 until his appointment to the Bench. He had been chairman of the Prisons Parole Board from 1970 to 1977 and had retired from the Bench in 1985.

The other four members of the committee of inquiry announced by Mr Palmer are: © Mrs Brian Diamond, of Wellington, a teacher for 20 years and senior mistress at Wainuiomata College for the last seven. ® Mr Michael Guest, of Dunedin, a barrister

and solicitor who has been a Dunedin City councillor since 1977, and a member of the Otago District Legal Aid Committee for six years.

• Mrs Anne Tla, of Auckland, who has a long history in community and youth groups, and is a Justice of the Peace, having served on the Penal Policy Review Committee in 1981.

• Dr Peter McGeorge, of Auckland, who is director of the adolescent psychiatric unit of the Auckland Hospital Board, is chairman of the Auckland Society of Psychiatrists. The terms of reference of the Committee of Inquiry are to report to the Minister by October 31 on practical steps that can be taken to reduce the incidence of violence and violent crime in the' community.

Mr Palmer said the committee would invite submissions from interested individuals and groups, and consult as it thought fit.