SPECIAL CAMP

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20629, 9 August 1941, Page 9

SPECIAL CAMP

SERVICE DEFAULTERS PROCEDURE OUTLINED TRIBUNALS TO BE SET UP (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The principle upon which conscientious objectors are to be dealt with was enunciated by the acting Prime Minister, the Hon. W. Nash,'in a statement he made in the House of Representatives this afternoon. He said that regulations were to be gazetted at an early date embodying these principles and that three oneman tribunals would be set up with headquarters at Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch to determine questions raised under the regulations. Mr. Nash added that the regulation; would also deal with the man who whether on conscientious grounds 01 not. refused to perform military service. Mr. Nash’s statement was made with the consent of the House. He said lie wished to set out the position concerning those men who had appealed against military service on conscientious grounds and whose appeals had either been allowed or had been dismissed with a proviso that they should undertake alternative or non-combat-ant service. Two Principles “There are two principles which should apply to these men and I think there will be no disagreement on these points,” he said. “In the first place no man of this class should be placed in a better financial position than one who, probably on equally conscientious grounds, has entered camp and trained to fight for his and our liberties. I doubt whether the genuinely conscientious man would desire otherwise. “The second point is that as a citizen he should be prepared to serve the community in the place where he can be greatest value, not necessarily in work connected with the war effort if that is genuinely against his conscience. The Government has given careful consideration to this matter and has taken into account both the rights of individual liberty and conscience and the duties of citizens to the community. Regulations are now in course of preparation and will be gazetted at an early date providing for the two principles. I have enunciated to be part of the law relating to national service. “The decisions which must be made in applying these principles to individual cases will call for the highest judicial qualities of understanding, common sense, and a knowledge of the requirements of the community. The Government has been exceedingly fortunate in obtaining the services of three of the leading barristers of the Dominion, whose names command respect and confidence of the community—Messrs. A. H. Johnstone, K.C., li. F. O’Leary, K.C., and A. T. Donnelly. These gentlemen will be appointed as individual tribunals with headquarters in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, to determine questions raised under the regulations and will commence their sittings towards the end of this month. Hearings will be in camera and informal but provision will be made for applicants to be adequately represented. Chance to Perform Service “The proposed regulations will deal with one further question—that of the man who, whether on conscientious grounds or not, fails to obey the orders of the tribunal or, his ordinary appeal having been dismissed, refuses to perform military service. It is clear that the community cannot allow this man to defy the law and equally clear that none of us want to, have him dealt with as a criminal in an ordinary gaol or thrust into camp as an unwilling and most unsatisfactory soldier. The regulations will provide that on conviction in the ordinary court of an offence against a tribunal’s order or of refusal to perform military service these men will be detained in a special defaulters’ camp. Though the detention and discipline will be strict, the camp will give them an opportunity of performing useful service to the community in a manner which takes account of their particular abilities and recognises that though offenders against the law they are-not criminals in the ordinary sense of the term.

“It will be seen that this procedure provides for these men a form of detention appropriate to their position. If, however, this opportunity is in any way abused, they will forfeit their right to differential treatment. Offenders against the discipline of a defaulters’ camp will be liable to imprisonment in the ordinary gaols and will be dealt with in the same way as ordinary prisoners for such term as the civil court considers it . right to impose. “As I mentioned, the regulations are being prepared. I shall be in a position to make a somewhat fuller statement when they have been gazetted.”