CHIEF JUSTICE TO THE JURY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 974, 15 November 1910, Page 5

CHIEF JUSTICE TO THE JURY.

ON THE NEW '?NOBLE EFFORT." Addressing the Grand Jury at the opening of the Criminal Sessions yesterday, the Chief Justice,' Sir Robert Stout, referred in terms of praise .-to the new Crimes Act, Inter alia, he stated :— "The Crimes Aat, which will conio into foroe at.the beginning'of next year, ■ will in my opinion represent a now step in yrison reform. Under the Act. steps will ie taken ■ to try and reform all persons imprisoned for crime and enable them to Jive better lives, in future. ' Wages are actually to.be paid to them for work done in gaol if it is well done. Large farms ■will be aet aside for reformatory purposes, and everything possible will be done (especially in the case of young criminals) to reclaim th«m from .-a caieer of crime. In tho past there, have been'fow avenues'of escape and reformation for persons once started on a career of crime. Happinoss has been denied to. the criminal who has become, nothing better than a scourge and a pest to every decant individual. ■ I hopo that thia scheme of dealing with crime mil have some beneficial results. It is Bot to be hoped that any scheme will be immediately satisfactory, ... . . We oannot expect to eliminate crime from our midst for, perhaps, centuries , to come, .but nt least wo can watch over and care for the young who are likely-to drift into crime, i The. , attempt to make good citizens,of them is at anyi-ate a noble effort. The Minister for Justice. deserves, I think, every predit for the effort* he has made in this direction.'' ' ,