CONVERSION OF CARS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 270, 29 October 1932, Page 8

CONVERSION OF CARS

THE QUESTION OF PENALTIES. MOTOR UNION REPRESENTATIONS The question of endeavouring to obtain more severe penalties against persons convicted of converting motor cars to their own use was considered by the Hawke’s Bay Automobile Association at the annual general meeting, held in Napier yesterday afternoon, when the North Island (New Zealand) Motor Union wrote informing the association that the Minister of Justice had intimated that for constitutional reasons he could give no assistance in the matter. The -secretary of the North Island (New Zealand) Motor Union stated in his letter that, in reply to correspondence addressed to the Minister of Justice regarding more severe sentences, the Minister had stated that however much he might sympathise with the union in the matter, he could not interfere with the decisions of the Court; nor was he able to issue instructions of any sort as to what penalties should be imposed. He pointed out that if counsel were employed by the union in suitable cases, such counsel could address the .Court as to the penalty and thus probably obtain the end desired. He regretted that for constitutional reasons he could not assist the union in the matter. The president of the Hawke’s Bay Automobile Association (Mr J. H. Edmundson) pointed out that under the section of the Act the maximum penalty was three months imprisonment. Conversion of a car was not considered by the Courts as theft, which was an indictable offence requiring to be tried before a jury. The North Island (New Zealand) Motor Union’s letter was duly "received.”