POLICE OFFENCES

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 146, 21 June 1923, Page 10

POLICE OFFENCES

AMENDMENTS TO THE LAW

SUNDAY TRADING AND MOTOR THEFTS.

An amendment to the Police Offences Act was introduced in the Legislative' Council yesterday by Sir Francis Bell, Attonioy-General. The Bill seeks to greatly strengthen the law relating to the punishment of motor-car thcft3, and nlso Sunday trading. The former punishment for motor theft was a fine of £10, or two months' imprisonment. The amending Bill provides for a maximum penalty of £20, or three months' imprisonment, while in addition the defendant may be ordered to pay the owner of the stolen car damages not exceeding £20. This order will not bar any civil action for compensation. Constables arc empowered to arrest without warrant any person whom they have cause to suspect of having committed, "or to be about to commit, any offence under this section. A new provision against Sunday trading fixes the maximum penalty at £5 for any person who works at his trade or calling within view of a public place on Sunday, or who keeps open any house, shop, bar, or other place for the purpose of trading. The former penalty for this offence was £1. Tho section excludes from its operation any work of necessity or charity, tho sale of refreshments for consumption on the premises, the sale of medicines or milk or anything required in connection with sickness or accident, or barbers before 9 a.m., persons driving public conveyances, working on steamers, letting boats for hire, Post and Telegraph employees, or daily newspaper workers. Other provisions in the Bill include a new definition of insulting behaviour in a public place, this covering riotous or disorderly behaviour, the use of insulting words, or striking or fighting any person. A former provision of the law that excavations on public highways should be lighted at night has been amplified so as to provide that during the daytime the excavations shall be marked with red flags, while, at night at least two red lamps must be placed in a suitable position to mark the danger. The definition of "public place" has been extended to include any place open to, or used by, the public, whether on the payment of money or otherwise. The offence of being found on premises by night without lawful excuse was punishable under the . original law by imprisonment not exceeding one year, but a new sectioo provides for such an offence which does not disclose any criminal intent, the .punishment being .£lO fine, or imprisonment not exceeding three-months. This offence is extended to ships, boats, yachts, or other vessels. Another clause gives a constable power to search for pillaged goods' without a warrant if he has reason to suppose that stolen property is in the possession o£ any person, or is to be found in any conveyance or receptable about any wharf or public place adjacent to any port or wharf either inland or at tho seaboard, or is on any ship or other vessel. Power is given to delaiu any conveyance or vessel to enable a search to be mad«. The final clause of tho Bill empowers the police on arresting any naval rating for drunkenness to deliver him to the naval authorities for conveyance to tho ship, there to be dealt with in'-'accord-ance with naval discipline pending his being taken before a justice as required by the principal Act.