63902-1919-Supplementary-Bills-read-a-first-time-- — Page 6

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Ordina ce

6. Section 28 of the principal Ordinance as amended Amendment by the Arms and Ammunition (Amendment) Ordi- of s 28 of nances, 1914, is hereby further amended as follows, No. 2 of namely:-

(1) by the insertion of the words "before a on summary

magistrate" after the words ".

conviction".

(2) by substituting a

66 comma for a "full stop at the end thereof and by adding the following words, namely :-

“or, on summary conviction before two magistrates, sitting together to hear the case, to a fine not exceeding 2,000 dollars, and to imprisonment for any term not exceeding 2 years. And it shall be law- ful for a magistrate or magistrates, if he or they think fit, upon the application of the Captain Superintendent of Police or his deputy, in the case of any prosecution under this Ordinance, to commit such person for trial before the Supreme Court, which Court shall have power to sentence such prisoner to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years".

1900.

7. Sections 29 and 30 of the principal Ordinance are Amendment hereby amended by the substitution of the words of ss. 29

magistrate or Judge of the Supreme Court in lieu and 30 of of the word “magistrate ”.

Ordinance No. 2 of 1900.

Objects and Reasons,

1. The object of this Bill is to render far more deter- rent the powers of a Court with regard to punishing persons in possession of arms, it being felt that in many cases persons in possession of arms are potential armed robbers and have every intention of committing armed robbery, and should be dealt with severely, in a bad

case.

2. Sections 2, 3, 4, and 5 are all drafted with a view to carrying out the above object of making the punish- ments more severe and the amended section 28 (as amended by section 6 of this Ordinance) introduces extra severity in the punishments in the following two respects, namely:-

(1) by enabling two magistrates sitting together to impose a fine not exceeding 2,000 dollars and imprisonment for any term not exceed- ing two years, and

(2) where a longer term of imprisonment is desired, by giving power to the magistrate or magistrates, upon the application of the Captain Superintendent of Police or his deputy, to commit for trial, in which case the Judge of the Supreme Court has power to inflict sentence of imprisonment up to seven years.

3. Section 7 of this Bill contains the necessary con- sequential amendments which follow on the above power to commit for trial.

27th May, 1919.

HI. E. POLLOCK,

Allorury General.

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