BRITISH JUSTICE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 996, 10 December 1910, Page 9

BRITISH JUSTICE.

.'■ ■ .'• . . 8 , : : .'..-' ; - ; -V S THE FOREIGN'PRESS AND THE ■' ; CRIPPEN TRIAL. ' 1 '.. "WORLD'S BEST LAWS." ./"::"'£ The Crippen trial, with its dignified and <M orderly procedure and speedy ending, fur- .'> nished tho American press with welcome .;: material for some remarkablo encomiums .. on the coursD of British, as compared -■■■'■■■' with American, justice (says the "Daily <;..'■ Mail ). lne keynoto of uumlierkss lead- '■'*': ing articles on the swift retribution which .:• has overtaken Crippen'is: "How different' '.S from. American methods of .justice!" :"■:•. The "New York Tribune" says: "ThevvX trial was in many respects a model' ex- '"-'■- •tabition of tho processes, of criminal law. : ':■■■■ llie Lord Chief Justice assisted the jury • '- : by incisive ■ questions, ospcciallv whea " ■'-'■■ expert witnesses were likciv to "bewilder :-"'■■-i them with technicalities., fro also pro-'.- ' tccteU the- witnesses, exposed'. to .. cross- '-' examination,' and was helpful to Crippen ■'{ himself at critical stages of. his testimony, fi i Counsel on both sides were kept'under-'-i restraint and were not allowed to : abuse 1: their privileges' by introducing 'unfair'-' : K' comment when ; examining witnesses, 6t-'"- : V dealing with experts. ■ The manners 'of -•■■'& I counsel were perfect.; ■ ; ..'.-■ ■'.'■■ "Tho Lord Chief Justice; both ,iii "the'y?general conduct of the case and with his, ;v lucid charge to the jury, was the'ombo'di--. ;i " ment of. impartiality. :The * trial' of'•-''; a . .-**.'' celebrated case, in .which the public lias -■■■ ,tnken the keenest interest, has shown that '■•-"-'-( criminal procedure, in -. England is well--V , > nigh perfect in.'dignity- and efficiency, :•-•;;• aud that the rights .of the individual,>.; l?: even when lie is a monster. 4 and- : an out- O. ;; cast, are protected .with 'absolute : "iov'"----v partiality.". : '. '•.,.;-< .-..- .. .;:. '-■ '.V.^yf The Lord .Chief Justice. - - '. ': -J;- : -M The '.'-'New York' Sun," : at 'the close ; a two-coliimn. narrative, illusiTating. the^ ::, incisive manner- in 'which-Lord. liver- : :K stone intervened-at all points of. the '.'/'■■: trial in order to'secare greater lucidity'-''' and fairness; describes him. as tho. mcisf ■■• impressive and: dignified' figure /on ■ the ' :■':", British Bench, and the ;personification of • S judicial'strength. . .- : ; ": .:,'■■-J. : "r;'t\ The "Philadelphia Public- Ledger"'re-' i,. , ' marks:—"Tho proceedings were', 'domin- ''-i ated by the personality of-Lord Alver- '"\'?< stone, strong and , masterful, who Eeems ■ the embodiment,of justice tempered with ''T' sympathy for human frailty;" . - ' : ii">. The "Chicago. Tribune" says: "If Crip-' '- J pen had. teen, tried in. Illinois, or pretf/; : ,■" much any part of the IJiiited- States,' in- ■■ -y-'-i stead of in England, ■ the; work of. em- 'fifli panelling a jury -would have "barely: ' ; .;i It would bn tivo mouths at least before'-.Vyi , there 'would, be a_ verdict or disac[ree'- : ii..'\ merit. The moral is that if an American'(.'?.'J makes- up ;his mind to. murder his wife>':';= he hid batter'do.it at heme and not in : .j; England. .If he.murders.her here'tbefo'ia.'•;-•.'■>''" a fair chancq for him to escai» • punishv ■..-''( mont entirely through the jury- being bo- -. : ' j fooled by a. smart' la-wyer or through .»:. : ..'ffi fanatically-'technical-'High' -Couvfi"'-.; ;: . ii/i "Best Laws Jn ..the World.".; , . r>; ; '."H The "Kew Tork Times" says:: "Under"'', :'■■'■: the, best laws in the world and the best,': .i* eniprced^Crippen 1 had-a fair'trial. There A;* A;* is no doubt the'jury found him guilty '•"•Vlf. strictly on'the.evidence. .The-Lord Chief .:.'*• Justico presided trial, 'which'■ was;'• :; 'v-j a model of its:kind'and -vastly different-'.-'.ii-J from .the protracted and sensational mur- '.'-'■■y ;: der trials'so 'common in this country:" ■ '. v "; The "Xew York ;World" observes::. M] "Su'ch celerity..' of' even-handed admiriis^'-.\."/'? tration fulfils the -promise - .of -Magna,.' ' 'ii Charta that justice snail not be-delayed; -.:.:? We 'have fallen far behind- 'that'.ideal/,i : :-;:; We should regain 'it for the credit of our.;:' ..': criminal procedure." , . ■- .;'-.' :■/■"■../ ' : y-K<■'"-.■'A^. A French Comparison." '■ '.:''.':'.'■■;■"■ '■'•:■: Under the heading "The: Two 'Justices! "y'4, the. Swift-footed aud the ; Limping," tho - .:'- "Mat'in" contrasts, the conduct of : tha;j ■■;■ ( Crippen trial in England and the Stein-">•"'•/• heil "affairs" iu'lfrauce. The journal il- '-,-.: lustrates its point' with diagrams, anything but complimentary to tho.'.'Frencii ■ ---■"">■ police. It represents the course of English justice as a sharp,'straight line.and : : of French'justice as ■ l a T *andering,'vague, and uncertain one. : ; " ' . • L ;; "The murder of Mrs. Crippen/' it says, - : -' was discovered on July It,, 1910; ..on July ■-.■ 31 Crippen ,was arrested in. Canada, .'ijti.: , .' ,:"' August il he was hrought' back to E;ig-.".:>\ : land, and on October ,22-tliree.,monUis';.'--; and eight days after';thp discovery—the,;. r.'. sentence was delivered.: . ,;. ■■■■;..'■ "The body of the painter- Steinueil wao.:' v : found on-May. 31, 1008, and. after nn-f ■-;.y morons incidents, a negative verdict was -.. '■:' returned on November 13, 1909, seventeen:;. ..:. months and thirteen days after _ the dis- ■■ covery. . And there :was no. need," let via ■■; ■.: note'in passins,\to go to the end. of "the.. ~:•: world in search of the accused. • ■'■ ;':;.:"rv) M. Eochefort, in the "Patrie, sayslliat,, - v ; English justice differs; essentially :from. ; ; .-. French inasmuch as it/is incorruptible- .' :.: and is not under the orders of the Got? ;•- crnment. , ''.' ."■..- ■'■■'.':.,■'■ ■ ' ■■■■■.'i,:\'~:-\sti