Murders And Life Sentences
(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day.
Mr A. S. Sutherland (Oppn, Hauraki) gave notice to ask, the Minister of Justice, Mr Mason, if in view of the Government’s statement that it did not intend to restore capital punishment, the Minister would consider the advisability of detaining in prison for the term of their whole natural lives criminals who had received life sentences for murder.
He said it was understood that at present the maximum “life sentence” involved imprisonment for only 20 years and it was reliably reported that n?any criminals who had received “life sentences” had been released after serving from 10 to 12 years.
Mr Mason said it was not correct to understand that a life sentence meant the maximum of 20 years. A life sentence definitely meant for the whole of a natural life and any remission was under separate authority. It. might be by the use of the Crown’s prerogative. A life sentence was for the entire natural life.
Mr Sutherland: Some of these fellows are only 30 or 40 when they come out and may go on killing people for the rest of their lives.
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Greymouth Evening Star, 15 October 1948, Page 5
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191Murders And Life Sentences Greymouth Evening Star, 15 October 1948, Page 5
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