THE RIGHT OF APPEAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12738, 6 September 1919, Page 10

THE RIGHT OF APPEAL.

-—■ 4 MR- WILFORD TRIES AGAIN. [I eom Our Correspondent.] W ELLINGTON, September 5. . Last year when Air M ilford was Minister of Justice he introduced the Crimes Act Amendment fillL the intent ol winch was to tin. right of appeal to those V, ~ have the sentences imposed ..m reviewed, ihe measure was ilmn passed bv the Lower House but thrown out by the Council. Mr Milford brought up his Bui again to-day in his capacity as a private member, in urging the need of his proposal he quoted instances to show how it had been proven time after time that judges and juries may go astray. As a result a Court of Appeal was needed in this country to set judges right, and a Privy Court to set the Court of Appeal right. In discussing a phase of his proposal which had met with some criticism, that section giving the right to a judge not only to reduce sentences but also to increase them if circumstances warranted R. M> Milford pointed out the need of some deterrent to indiscriminate and insincere appeals. He appealed to the Government to adopt his Bill.this session and put it on the Statute Book. The Labour members all warmly supported the Bill, as did a number of other members, mostly of the legal persuasion. Mr Parr applauded it as being a humane measure and in the right direction and Sir John Findlay urged the need of a remedy to the liability of every man to err in judgment at times. He bad known good judges in summing up to proceed on a wrong assumption of the facts placed before them, and the stronger the judge the greater his influence on juries. A strong judge could almost force his opinion on certain juries. Mr Jennings made an appeal on behalf of men who had recovered their position as honourable and good citizens. He urged the inclusion of provision allowing the reviewing judge to cause a criminal record against a man to be expunged. The Bill was read a first time and a. day fixed for its second reading.