SPEECH BY THE HON. ATTORNEY GENERAL (ACTING) IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY 23RD MAY,
DISTRICT COURT (AMENDMENT) BILL 1973.
SECOND READING.
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Sir,
I move the Second Reading of the District Court
(Amendment) Bill 1973.
A substantial increase in the amount of serious crime
inevitably imposes pressure on the Judiciary.
The number of
criminal trials before the Supreme Court has increased considerably
in recent years and the average trial is taking longer because
of the number of defendants in each case. Although Commissioners
of the Supreme Court have been appointed regularly to assist the
Judges with the trial of criminal cases, 26 such cases are
awaiting trial at the moment and there is an average interval of
about 5 months between the arrest of an accused person and his
trial. The number of criminal cases is undoubtedly imposing
considerable burdens on the Supreme Court and it must be expected
that this pressure will continue for some time.
This Bill proposes to
It is proposed, therefore, that if necessary arrange-
ments should be made for some of the serious cases which are now
committed for trial before the Supreme Court to be tried in the
District Court. However, it is thought to be essential, if more
serious cases are to be tried in the District Court, to confer
on it enhanced powers of punishment.
increase the maximum sentence of imprisonment which a District
Judge may impose from the present limit of 5 years to 7 years.
I would add that since the 1st April this year legal
aid has been available to defendants charged in the District
Court with offences punishable by not less than 14 years'
imprisonment. It has been estimated that this will mean that
approximately half of the persons charged before the District
Court will be legally represented.
In practice, no defendant