The Dominion FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1933. COUNSEL FOR POOR PRISONERS

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 70, 15 December 1933, Page 10

The Dominion FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1933. COUNSEL FOR POOR PRISONERS

An obvious defect in the existing provisions for extending to prisoners in poor circumstances the right to apply for the services o defending counsel is to be remedied in a Bill now before Parliament A condition attached to this privilege was that a prisoner s defence Lari tn he set out in a signed statement which was available to thCrown Prosecutor, a procedure clearly to the disadvantage of the accused The object of the Bill is to remove that condition. _ Why was ever allowed to stand is one of those mysteries of legislation beyond the'power of human reason to fathom. Yet there it is in proof of the fact that there are so many injustices in this world that some are bound to escape attention in the turmoil of greater and more Pr ' SS Me7“cira U n S lan«s it is a pleasing reflection that Government can pause for a moment in its pursuit of larger s questions of State concern to give a thought to the smaller, details that worry humanity. The employment of defending counsel is one, for the services of a learned advocate are apt to be expensive. Even if freedom from the clutches of the law could be facilitated for six-and-eightpence there are some individuals to whom this modest fee would be a harassing consideration. The poor prisoner may now derive additml hope and encouragement from the fact that in addition to the assistance hitherto extended to him he will be in a position to mask his defence until skilled reinforcements arrive. . With all this the Labour Party complains that there is still a fly in the ointment, that the scales of justice -are still weighted in favour of the rich to the detriment of the poor. Mr. Schramm considers that the poor prisoner should have the right to Ijave any lawyer he might choose, instead of having one assigned to him. C f course we would* all like to have our cases defended, by K.-C. s, but even moderately well-off people find such legal luxuries beyond, their means. These considerations are a matter of degree. In failing to appreciate that the Labour Party, or one of it, shows a characteristic lack of proportion. Many a budding advocate anxious for Court work upon which to gain experience and build his reputation would jump at the chance of defending a poor prisoner, and probably make a better job of it than a lawyer of standing to whom such a call might be inopportune and tiresome. Most, reasonable people will be perfectly satisfied with the Bill as it stands.