Legal and Parliamentary Dept.

White Ribbon, Volume 29, Issue 11, 1 July 1958, Page 5

Legal and Parliamentary Dept.

Please reao »t Union meetings

L.iM month 1 spoke o( the grave possibilit) o( in nndesirabte unendmcnts being introduced into legislation c -ma riling Lie* nsing nutters at present lession >l Parliament In the June White Ribbon I -iskt Ante to their local M P.i If you have not already written, will you look this up and write immediately. We want proi to t particularl) v.im le with their future betcre them, aith whom « tinted ftCT Lady Dorothy MacMillan's visit to V lington, ' her a copy of "How we won the Franchis i <>i "I he T.J* of the \ She ha- replied, "I thank mm h most interesting letter It was most kiwi ol to take the trouble to mite to use, and to send me the pamphlet- which I look forward to reading. I, t i my visit t i your Brum h VV > and rii< • me of your memben " I wrote also tO the Secretary of the N.Z. Labour Party laying tli.it we n ned at propi for increasing facilities for liquor lalej put fom r<! at the annual Conference The tssistai ' 'ied that, ai the Secretary wa- ill. a reply would In forthcoming later Replies to Resolutions have been received arollowi Re Appointment of a woman as Assistant Film Censor: The Minister of nternal Affairs \vr That, while he has given this | ol thought, he thinks there no *eal necessity for this step He states that the CfttOf is .it liber'v onsuh any one he feels can give competent advice and often d< i ary, he consults a lady or ladies The Minister SaVS, howewr. that p <>ur request in mind ihould there be any proposal to appoint a further assistant Re Temperance Education in Schools: Ihe Minister of Education writes that the present syllabus in health and physical education requires tins instruction t<> be given, but t< free to decide tie most suitable approach and fane In the primary school, this has usually been found to in the upper class< I - r Inspector •ts annually that the syllabus requirement! OH the teaching oi temperance are being carried out in the schools in his district. The Minister feels that <»ur request ii already covered and that it would be exceptional for a child to n<> through • I without receiving this instruction He appreciate! our concern in this matter

Re drinking by minors: The Minister o| Police writes, "1 wish to assure von that the police have n instructed to e the strictest control over drinking by minors As to the punishment that is meted OUI E 0 the licensee tor a breach of the taw in this respect, I can only Mjr, that neither Government nor Use Department has any control or influence upon the decision of the Magistrate The ill effects of drinking on the part of young people are well realised and 1 share your view. Suppressed altogether, it would have a beneficial effect upon the general behaviour of »he younger age group.**

The Minister of Justice writes: Re defendants intoxicated at time of offence Parliament fixes the maximum penalty, but actual punishment is a

matter for courts "There ma) hi an offence may be if committed while ihe der was not fully action i, through drink This not imply thai drinking to the extei ■ * ran l M " t Ili '^ justified vjrf the law, bu< rather that, in our system of law.' thi I man's mind is wholly relevant SO the issue I t his and the extent of his blameworthii •

Re closing of bars and after-hour trading: Your ;, may be assured that ihe Government will not ■ take any appropriate and usist the ponce in reducing the evil er-hour drinking. I would point out, . that prohibiting rs from entertaining theil sfter 6 o'clock would mean that a great deal ol the drinking now done in bars would be d»ne in lounges This would have disadvantages of

its own "

Re warning notices to minors displayed in licensed premises: "The which you refer was ...lit to the notice of my predecessor, the Hon Mr Marshall, and I may say that the hue imposed on the v.-1r 1 t-.tuenied, was subsequently remitted I think there is something to be said for requiring display of suitable warning notices in beer ga.-dens and other parts ot licensed premises, and I will give consideration »o this. I will also bear in mind the other request you refer to in your 'letter, that the supply cl h'jtior to minors who are gUCStI in Is, should be prohibited My present viev. however, that in tie ibsence of evidence of any in alteration in the law in this respect would not be warranted It would, for instance. prevent minors who were staving frith their parents hem- supplied with liquor at their parents' request, even though they were accustomed to having drink with their meals at home. I think that any clain; that a minot was, in fact, a bona fide curst, would be very carefully rcrutinised by the court and that the evasion of the law in this •ray, would not be i x

Re Preventive Detention for sex offences: "Under the Criminal Justice Act, I ( >M. provision is made tor the imposition of a sentence of Preventive Detention in certain cases This sentence is indeterminate to the extent *hat it is for not less than 3, n«>r more than 14 years Any person convicted of a second sexual offence against a may be sentenced, and in such cases, the upper limit of 14 years need not apply Release depend* initially upon a recommendation of the Parole Board, arid, on leaving the prison, the offender comes under the supervision of the Probation Officer The question of when such a I ?ntence is imposed, is one for the Court to decide and I am sure you will agree that it is not for me or any other Minister to interfere in the Courts. Onlv the presiding or Magistrate htl f he full facts before him and I feel sure the appropriate penalty is imposed, particularly where women and children have be«m victims."

Important, NZWC Tl T has sent in a remit on local option for the N.C.W. Conference in October Would district secretaries let me knov; as soon as possible whether this remit lus been approved or not in local Branches of K.C.VA? Jt has been approved by the Wellington Branch. —L K. V Grigg, Director, (Legal & Parliamentary Dept )