THE CHILDREN’S COURT

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 62, 7 December 1926, Page 9

THE CHILDREN’S COURT

MAGISTRATE URGES DISCRETION Dominion' Special. Auckland, December 6. The practice of bringing very small children before the Court for more or less trivial offences was commented upon by Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., in the children’s Court to-day. A boy, aged eight, was charged with stealing a number of instruments from a school laboratory. It was stated that when the instruments wore missed the matter was put in the hands of the police who discovered the boy had taken them Mr. Cutten said he thought far too many cases of this type were coming before the Court. The bay had taken the instruments because they were bright and had caught his childish fancy. He had no idea of their value and no intention of stealing. The Magistrate added that he had given instructions that the hoy should not be brought before the Court. Someone should have the right to use discretion in these matters and this was a case where it should have been employed. Mrs. N. E. Ferner, associate member of the Court, said she quite agreed with what Mr. Cutten had said. A number of cases came before the Court in whioji very young children were charged with offences. It would be a great deal bettor if they could be dealt with in some more simple way.