4
Explanatory Memorandum
The great increase in the amount of serious crime during the past few years has imposed severe burdens on the
Supreme Court and the District Court.
It is therefore proposed to arrange for nore indictable offences to be tried summarily before the magis-
trates' courts.
In order to enable magistrates to deal adequately with the more serious cases which may come before them, it is proposed to empower the Chief justice to appoint permanent magistrates to be principal magistrates.
A principal magistrate, who will be a magistrate of considerable experience, will have an enhanced pover of punishment. He will be able to impose a maximum sentence of four years' imprisonment and a fine of ten thousand dollars, as opposed to the maximum of two years' imprisonment and two thousand dollars which can be imposed by a permanent magistrate. The maximum aggregate total of consecutive sentences which can be imposed, is at present three years for a permanent magistrate; this will be increased to five years for a principal magistrate.
:
Attorney General.