Military Appeals.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 13, 28 September 1910, Page 5

Military Appeals.

It is Sir Joseph Ward’s intention to considerably alter the provisions of the Knyvett clause in f*le Defence Bill. This clause, it will be remembered, provides that when, except in time of war, any officer or non-commissioned officer is dismissed he shall have a right of appeal to a board consisting of a Supreme Court Judge and two officers of a rank not lower than that of colonel. When explaining the provisions of the bill tonight the Minister of Defence said he proposed amending the clause in committee, and inserting a similar provision to that obtaining in Imperial law. This Would necessitate the appointment of a Judge Advocate General in the chief centre, and deputies in other centres. Their duties would be to ascertain if charges made were correct, and the clause would apply to the rank and file as well as officers. Mr. T. E. Taylor said he presumed this clause of the bill arose out of the proceedings known as the Knyvett case. It showed the necessity of introducing the democratic element in military life and giving the civic right of appeal to an Appeal Board. Sir Joseph Ward: It is not an Appeal Board that I am providing for. It gives everybody (officers as well as rank and file)" the right of the civil law under certain circumstances. Mr. Fisher said he hoped the new cominandant would root out the old system of appointing officers to preside over court-martials. If Sir Joseph \\ ard s proposed amendment to clause 10 of the bill meant that the same old system of the past would still obtain, with the addition only of a Judge Advocate General, the country would be very little better off. Case's like that of Captain

Knyvett and himself would continue. A Judge Advocate could do littie good if the Court were composed of similar officers to those who presided over the Knyvett trial. In his opinion, a more obsolete, ill-informed, and useless Court had never sat than the Court in question, and he hoped to see some definite improvement made in the personnel of future Courts.