HIGH TREASON.

Waikato Times, Volume 87, Issue 13269, 26 August 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

HIGH TREASON.

Should Sir Roger Casement bo found guilty of high treason ho could be beheaded, for the law permits the Crown, if it so desires, to change the sentence of hanging to one of beheading.

Mr Arthur Lynch, M.P. for \Ygst Clare, who during the South African War* fought on the Boer side as colonel of an IrisL brigade, was the last man to be tried in this country for high treason. He was found guilty and sentenced to death, a sentence which was subsequently commuted to penal servitude. Ultimately Mr Lynch was granted a Royal pardon, and duly entered Parliament. It is possible that Sir Roger Casement's offence may come under the section of the Act of 1848 which specifies that certain acts of treason including "compassing to move any foreigner to invade the King's dominions," shall be treated as felonies. Such an act would be known as "treason felony," the maximum penalty being penal servitude. ft is a remarkable fact that the indictment against Mr Lynch was framed under a statute«of 1351 passed during the reign of Edward 111. That old Act still holds good on its main clauses. Previous to that,-the law regarding treason was very vague. Murder, highway robbery, piracy, even charging the King wrongfully, were sometimes punish, ed as treason. Killing a judge while in the execution of hia duty was regarded as treason, as well as seducing the King's wife, or £l<iMt'.4aaghlev«r th» wife *>f