17
Wednesday, December 12, 1973
PROVISIONS FOR SUSPENDING PRISON SENTENCES
Extended For Another Three Years
The Legislative Council today approved a resolution to extend
for a further three years the provisions for suspension of prison sentences
under the Criminal Procedure Ordinance.
In moving the resolution, the Attorney General, the Hon. J.W.D.
Hobley, said the extension would provide an adequate opportunity for a
realistic assessment of the effectiveness of the provisions.
He stressed that steps had been taken to ensure that as much
information as possible would be available by the time the matter came
up for review again.
Mr. Hobley said the Chief Justice strongly felt that the provisions
should continue in operation. "He is supported in this by the magistrates
by whom the power to suspend is most frequently used in practice.
"They consider that it provides them with a valuable alternative
way of dealing with some offenders."
Reviewing the past operation of these provisions, he said: "The
position is that, since larch 1971 when they came into operation, a prison
sentence has been suspended in 1,362 cases.
"In 252 of those cases, the defendants have subsequently committed
further offences and the suspended sentences have taken effect. Those
figures give some ground for thinking that suspended sentences have been
successful."
/Нометег,
L