Evidence To Be Heard For And Against Capital Punishment

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 September 1950, Page 4

Evidence To Be Heard For And Against Capital Punishment

PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Last Night (OC).—The special joint committee comprising members of the Legislative Council and the House of Representatives set up to take evidence on the Capital Punishment Bill before the measure comes again before the Lower Ffouse for consideration is to hold its first public meeting next Wed. •tesday morning. The committee will meet in Parliament Buildings and the evidence given to it will at its opening session be from representatives of the Justice Department. Other evidence is to be given at future sittings of committee by Doctor P. P. Lynch (pathologist), Doctor Theo Gray (psychiatrist), the Commissioner of Police (Mr. J. Bruce Young) the public opinion booth of the National Council of Women, the Society of Friends and British Israel representatives. Other societies and organisation or persons might also appear before the committee at later sittings the week after next.

Those organisations and persons who have so far intimated their desire to proffer evidence on the proposed re. introduction of capital punishment are fewer than expected.

Sittings of the committee are open to the public and the Press, and will be conducted under the chairmanship of Mr. C. G. E. Harker, Chairman of Committees of the House of Representatives, who is also the Government member for the Hawke’s Bay electorate.