MAINTENANCE OF ORDER

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1932, Page 6

MAINTENANCE OF ORDER

STERN REMARKS BY JUDGE

OFFENCES IN TROUBLOUS TIMES.

WELLINGTON RIOT CONVICTION.

CONFIRMATION OF SENTENCE.

By Telegraph.—-Press Association-

Wellington, Last Night. Some trenchant remarks on the gravity of offences against law rind order committed in troublous times were made •by Mr. Justice Blair in the. Supreme Court to-day after he had delivered his reserved judgment in the case of Mervyn George Berry, who appealed against a sentence, imposed by Mr. E. Page, S.M., of imprisonment for a year for ■being found armed with an offensive weapon with felonious intent, namely a stone tied in a handkerchief, during the recent disturbances at Wellington. Mr. Justice Blair upheld the sentence. There was no distinction, said His Honour, between interfering with a police officer, judge or any other person whose duty it was to maintain order and carry out the law of the land without fear or favour as loiig as it was the law of the land. Berry, notwithstanding the fact that he was of good character, had joined, one might say, “the rabble,” and had blindly followed and was prepared to become one of those who were there to destroy the very fabric of maintenance of peace and order in the country. “1 desire to impress upon everybody the very great importance and real gravity of crimes of this nature at this particular time, touching, as they do the very vitals of the administration of justice,” His Honour said. He had heard it stated that severe punishment should not be meted out in such cases. People who said that did not appreciate the serious position that would eventuate if such offences were allowed. The judge said that he 'had ho doubt that Berry’s object was to resist any attack from the police or special constables. His Honour regretted that he cotild not interfere with the sentence. He had. been tempted to do so, but if (he did he would be failing in his duty and it would uudermihe the administration of justice.