CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 October 1945, Page 8

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

ABOLITION’S EFFECTS HAMILTON, October 24. A suggestion that the Grand Jury should consider whether or not the abolition of the death penalty had resulted in an increase in cases of murder was made by Mr Justice Fair in his address at the opening of the Supreme Court session at Hamilton to-day. His Honor said there were many factors that might cause an increase in this grave crime, such as abject poverty, great mental strain, disreputable living, and an increase in lawless living. However, none of these factors seemed to have operated in New Zealand in the past seven or eight years, and if it were a fact that the grave crime of murder had shown a definite increase, it was legitimate to consider whether the abolition of the death penalty had not been, a major factor in causing this.

His Honor suggested that members of the Grand Jury, as individuals, should seek information, weigh the matter and if after consideration they felt able to form a definite view, they should express it in such a way as they thought fit. There were persons, he said, who considered that crimes deliberately planned and callously executed should be punished by the death penalty, but they were also of the opinion that the severity of the punishment was a deterrent, consciously or unconsciously, to persons who might be inclined to commit the serious crime of murder through passion or anger. Capital punishment always made a deep impression on the community. _ Later, the foreman of the jury (Mr H. D. Caro) said the Grand Jury had considered the question of capital punishment. It' recommended that figures with regard to murders during the past seven or eight years should be made known and that a Royal Commission should be set up by the Government to review the position since capital punishment was abolished as far as the amount of serious crime in the Dominion within that period was concerned, and to consider the matter in the light of comparative figures. His Honor said he would see that the recommendation was sent to the Attorney-General.