A EAIR CHANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 39, 16 February 1933, Page 17

A EAIR CHANCE

CONVICTED PERSONS

POLICE CHIEF PRAISED

The right of a person who had been in -trouble in the pastto' a fair- chance to rehabilitate himself Tvas a matter touehed'upon by tke-Chief Justice,, Sir Michael Myers, in the Supfemo Court yesterday afternoon. His "Honour was addressing the jury in the action for slander brought by Percival'Rhys Wingrove against a veterinary surgeon. He prefaced his views on the subject by commending the attitude adopted towards the 'plaintiff by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. W. G. Wohlmann. "I want.to pay tribute to the Commissioner of Police," said his Honour. "I want to pay tribute'to the action of the Commissioner of Police in this matter. We sometimes hear it said, far be it from me to say with any justification or that in every case that it does happen—l believe it rarely happens— that some police officer _on officers 'may not be fair to a person who has been previously convicted and 'has 'endeavoured to live an honest' life."-- -Ifr was the duty of tho police and everyone .else to give a poison who had been in trouble in the past a fair chance, as far as possible, to rehabilitate his character and reputation. The Commissioner of Police in the case before tie Court, according to the evidence, had said something to that effect. He_„h_ur seen Wingroy'e, and saw no reason to-take any, steps against him. His Honour-then referred to th©

fact that -if the evidence -of one -of. the lady .witnesses was -accepted,, the-de-fendant,, after having received, a letter from the plaintiff's solicitors, called npon her and said he had been to Commissioner Wohlmann, but, strangely, the Commissioner seemed sympathetic towards the plaintiff. ."If that means, as apparently it does meani" added his' Honour, "that the Commissioner was desirons of seeing that Wingrove had an opportunity,-of• rehabilitating -his reputation and his character, I say all honour to'the Commissioner of Police.'/ His Honour', also referred "'to the list produced in Court purporting to show' convictions against the plaintiff, * and which the defendant said his son had obtained. The" view taken by his Honour was that it was regrettable that, the defendant should have -made use of .the list. He thought it only fair to say that there was no suggestion against the police of their having divulged information1 as to their records which, they did* not-in'accord-ance with their practice,and" for'the purpose of their duties diyulge to members of the public. *'