POLITICAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 23, 20 September 1912, Page 7

POLITICAL.

Legislation was Introduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday to.provide counsel for prisoners unable to pay for professional assistance themselves. The Bill, which is in the form of an amendment of the Justices of the Peace Act, is copied from the Imperial law called the Poor Prisoners' Defence.Act. The Minister for Justice explained that the Bill had been introduced at the request of the member for Invercargill (Mr Hanan), and the Government proposed to place it on the Statute Book this session. The measure proposes that counsel shall bo provided at the expense of the State for .'a person accused of an indictable offence whose means, are insufficient to enable him to obtain legal aid in the preparation and conduct of his defence, and- having regard to the nature of the defence set up by the accused it is desirable in the interests of justice that he should have such aid. Counsel may be provided by the authority of the Minister for! Justice on a certificate issued by justices on the committal of an accused person for trial, or counsel may be assigned to him by a.Judge of the Supreme Court. Regulations fixing rates, of pay for such counsel, are to bo made by the Governor-in-Council.