ANOTHER CHANGE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 64, 17 March 1927, Page 14

ANOTHER CHANGE

FOR FIRST OFFENDERS

SUPPRESSION OF NAMES

URGED

A motion that the names of first offenders, convicted in the Magistrate's Court and released on probation, should be suppressed provided an interesting discussion at the annual meeting of the Wellington Hon'oraiy Justices' Association last evening.

The motion was put forward as a remit to the Dominion Conference of 'Justices' Associations at Dunedin next week by the local Registrar (Mr. I. Salek). Mr. Salek said that he had received many requests from Justices for advice on the question of suppres sion, but he ,had felt himself hardly qualified to decide the problem. Even the Magistrates themselves ha not laid down l precedent. The First Offenders and Probation "Act empowered Magistrates and Judges to release men on probation witnout punishment to give them * new start in li*e and to allow them to become good« citizens. What was thg use of this oenevolent provision, asked Mr. Salek, if the names of the offenders were publisher in the daily papers? A man whose name was broadcast was unable to get work, he felt himself in disgrace, and the y.ery kindness of the Government was destroyed by the publicity.

Mr; Salek stated that his motion was intended to deal only with Magistrate's Court cases, where the offences were mostly trivial. His own mind was made up a short time ago when a young man, charged with the theft of an amount under £1, pleaded guilty be fore himself and a brother Justice. Probation was granted, and the proceedings were purposely delaye' in order that an application for suppression might be made. No such application was made, and the papers consequently published all the facts .and the man's name. Such a state of'affairs was ab solutely unnecessary, argued Mr. Salek. The legislation framed to meet such cases where the Magistrates or J'—tices considered another chance might be given should be completed tc make its full purp se felt.

A case 'n which a r second offender had explained, that his second lapse was due to the lack of encouragement he received after his release on probation for the first offence- was next quoted by Mr. Salek. The argument that suppression was no punishment did not hold good, he said. The arrest, whether at home, in the street, or at work, was agony enough for the average man, and to fact the crowded Court was the climax of r very sufficient pun ishment. The memory of such an occurrence would live in a man's mind for a lifetime. In conclusion, Mr Salek suggested tnat the matter should be finally submitted to the Newspaper Proprietors' Association for discussion at the next annual conference.

r. J. M. Geddis thought that'sucha recommendation would receive very favourable consideration from the newspaper principals since the papers did not wish for any invidious comparisons in regard to suppression. Nevertheless, he ..feliy. he said, that the proposal should be made a matter of law.

Mr. J. N. Ellison said that it was necessary* to deal with each case on its merits. Every confidence was placed in the Dominion's Judges and Magistrates to deal with cases as they thought fit, and he considered that the present system was both practicable and desirable.

Supporting Mr. Ellison, Mr. E. P. Crowther said that it was the right of employers and the public generally _to know the character^ of the men with whom they came into contact. Messrs. 6 E. Fownes, J. Burnett, W. Hildreth, and A. Longmore also supported Mr. Ellison's views. Mr. H. W. Seaton remarked that suppression was only regarded in many cases as an opportunity for further dishonesty. Publication of the full details was a decided deterrent of future crime. / The motion was amended to comprise persons convitcd as first offenders and released on probation, and was carried After further discussion.