CO129-376 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1911 [3-4] — Page 543

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instance of a long sentence man being convicted again. Mr. Badeley states that in his opinion the least sentence for

crimes of violence should be 7 years. By this he means, no doubt, such crimes as at present are generally punished by 3 or 4 years sentences, being convictions for armed robbery or rob- -bery with violence without extenuating circumstances. The

Chief Justice, who is engaged on a revision of the Laws, has,

however, submitted a Bill for the abolition of minimum penalti-

-es in order to bring the Law of this Colony into harmony with

the tendency of Imperial Legislation. In these circumstances I

am not prepared to support the proposal for a legal minimum

term of imprisonment, though I share the Captain Superintend-

-ent of Police's views as to the advisability of long sentences

in the class of cases to which I have referred.

2.

One of my predecessors minuted in

this connection, that in view of the influx of criminals from

China into this Colony, "the reform of the criminal is no part

of our duty". That view was probably justified in the circums-

-tances of the time when it was written, but the great changes

which have taken place, and are now taking place in China, have

in my opinion rendered the adoption of a wore liberal-minded

policy both possible and politically advisable. Co-operation

with