"MISDEMEANANT AND OTHER OFFENDERS' ARREST ACT, 1877."

West Coast Times, Issue 2617, 20 August 1877, Page 3

" MISDEMEANANT AND OTHER OFFENDERS' ARREST ACT, 1877."

The Hon Dr Pollen has introduced into tho Legislature an Act to altar the law relating to the apprehension and arrest of persons for misdemeanors and other offences. There are nine clauses, and the short title is " The Misdemeanants and Otber Offenders Arrest Act, 1877." The Act gives power to constables to apprehend, without warrant, any person who has committed, or is suspected of committing or about to commit a misdemeanor at common law or by statute and to convey such person to a Justice for trial. The provisions of the common law respecting such arrests are to apply to apprehensions made as above. Whenever in offences punishable on summary conviction a warrant for apprehension or order for committal of persons convicted of any such offence shall have been issued, and in all caseß where a warrant or order shall have been issued for the committal of any person /'or default in payment of any sum recoverable summarily before a Resident Magistrate

otherwise than under the Resident Magistrate's Act 1867, and in all cases were an order for the committal of any person under the Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Act, 1874, shall have been issued, a copy of such warrant or order by telegram or otherwise may be transmitted by one chief officer of police to another. The interpretation clause includes justices of the peace under the expression " Resident Magistrate," and the expression "chief officer of police" means the chief or only officer other than tho commissioner or a superintendent of police. The copy of the order is to bo certified to, and suchcertified copy shall authorise the chief officer or those directed by him to apprehend or arrest any person named in the warrant or order. The warrant or order for arrest need not bo produced before arresting. Every copy of a certified warrant shall be prinia facie evidence of the matter therein contained. Any person forgirjg or in any material way altering any certified copy of a warrant or order, or shall forge the signature of the chief officer of police, or shall knowingly send a false copy, shall be guilty of felony, and liable to penal servitude for not exceeding seven years, or for any terra not less than one year ; or to be imprisoned for any terra not exceeding two years, with or without hard labor.