THE CRIMINAL CALENDAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13094, 6 February 1906, Page 4

THE CRIMINAL CALENDAR

That there should be any noticeable amount, of deliberate crime in a community admittedly prosperous, and where the excuse of abject wantcannot be pleaded, is a very regrettable circumstance, but when we judge relatively rather than positively we have good reason to regard with satisfaction the criminal calendar of the Supreme Court now sitting in Auckland. It is true that there were twenty-four bills presented to the Grand Jury, but none of these dealt with exceedingly serious charges, while the number is less than has been usual in recent times. Doubtless some reduction is due to the very proper assumption by the magistrates of the greater responsibility impressed upon them by Mr. Justice Edwards, whose lecturing has considerably eased the pressure upon the Supreme Court, and lightened the cost of the administration of justice, without in any way detracting from the effectiveness or equity of that administration. It would apparently be very easy, and in no way detrimental to the course of justice, to amend the law so that even greater power might be given to the magistracy than it now possesses, for a- proportion of the cases now before the Supreme Court mightthen have been dealt with in the lower Courts. As long as we conserve to persons accused of other than petty offences the right of appeal to a jury, there is no longer any great reason why we should not entrust to stipendiary magistrates jurisdiction over all but the more serious charges. It is very poor policy to load the Supreme Court with cases which can be dealt with equally well by the magistrates, and this applies to a variety of charges which the law still insists shall be sent up for trial.