XN000022-1972-11-15 — Page 4

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Wednesday, November 15, 1972

The proposed compensation scheme has been approved in principle

by the Governor in Council, and it covers people injured by the criminal

or by the police who are acting in the execution of their duty, he said.

Details of the actual scale of payments to be made to people

qualifying under the scheme may be announced in the near future, he added.

On compulsory corporal punishment, he said this may be seriously

considered by the Government if the present trend of violence continues.

As regards public criticism directed at the police and the courts,

he said this is largely unjustified, and he assured the Council that the

courts are fully alive to the public views concerning adequate punishment

of offenders.

He cited figures in the last two years which showed an increase

of about 10 per cent in the proportion of people convicted of robbery in

the Supreme Court or the District Court and sentenced to 12 months'

imprisonment or more.

Other figures he cited also showed general increases in the average

length of sentences imposed in the Supreme Court, the District Court and

the magistracies, as well as increases in the proportion of convicts sentenced

by the courts.

On police strength, Mr. Roberts said a vigorous campaign has just

been launched in an effort to recruit large numbers of men into the police

force, and the size of the Auxiliary police force is being substantially augmented.

"If this is achieved, it is the Government's intention to seek further

increases in strength to the limit of the needs of the community and the

ability of the regular police to make use of auxiliaries," he said.

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