Convict and Criminal Supervision.

Supervision.—The 5th and 8th sections of the Prevention of Crimes Act, 1871 (34 & 35 Vic. c. 112), as amended by 42 & 43 Vic., ch. 55, 1879, and by 54 & 55 Vic., c. 69, s. 4, direct—

(1.) That every convict on ticket-of-license or person subject to police supervision, within forty-eight hours of his arrival in a district, is to notify personally his place of residence to the Inspector of the district, or to the Sergeant or other person in charge of the police station at place of residence.

(2.) Whenever he changes his residence within the same district he is to notify personally such change to the District Inspector, or the Sergeant, as in preceding paragraph.

(3.) Whenever he is about to leave a police district he shall notify such his intention to the District Inspector of that district, stating the place to which he is going, and also if required and so far as is practicable, his address at that place, and whenever he arrives in any police district he shall forthwith notify his place of residence to the District Inspector of such last-mentioned district. If he fails to comply with any of the requisitions of this section, he shall, in any such case, be guilty of an offence against this Act (1891) unless he proves to the satisfaction of the Court before whom he is tried, either that being on a journey he tarried no longer in the place, in respect of which he is charged with failing to notify his place of residence, than was reasonably necessary, or that otherwise he did his best to act in conformity with the law; and on conviction of such offence Court may forfeit his licence, or sentence him to imprisonment for not exceeding one year (Act, 1891).

(4.) Every male convict on license, or male person subject to police supervision, during his residence in the district is required to report himself personally once every month, to the District Inspector, or to such other person as he may appoint.

As a rule, the District Inspector will direct the convict or person subject to supervision to make this

monthly report to the Sergeant of the sub-district in which his residence is situated. If the Sergeant he absent the report may be made to the senior in charge.

The Constabulary before proceeding against a convict on license or person subject to supervision, for a violation of the provisions of the above sections, should be fully satisfied of his having wilfully neglected to comply with them, as if he shows "that he did his best to comply with the law" he cannot be convicted.

The Constabulary should act kindly towards such persons, and endeavour by advice and encouragement to induce them to abandon crime and live honestly. No member of the force, directly or indirectly, is to communicate to anyone except a policeman, the names or any information regarding them.

Penal Servitude Act.-The 2nd section of the Penal Servitude Act, 1891 (54 & 55 Vic., c. 69), provides that (1) any Constable may take into custody without warrant any holder of a license under the Penal Servitude Acts, or any person under the supervision of the police in pursuance of the Prevention of Crimes Act, 1871, whom he reasonably suspects of having committed any offence, and may take him before a court of summary jurisdiction to be dealt with according to law. Any convict may be convicted before a court of summary jurisdiction of an offence against section 3 of the Prevention of Crimes Act, 1871, although he was brought before Court on some other charge or not in manner provided by that section. The following are the conditions of the license under 27 & 28 Vic., c. 47, and which are printed on the back thereof:-(1.) The holder shall preserve his license, and produce it when called upon to do so by a magistrate or police officer. (2.) He shall abstain from any violation of the law. (3.) He shall not habitually associate with notoriously bad characters, such as reputed thieves and prostitutes. (4.) He shall not lead an idle and dissolute life, without visible means of obtaining an honest livelihood.

[Whenever a convict on license is summarily convicted of any offence, the fact of his being such should be brought under the

notice of the convicting Magistrate, in order that the conviction may be duly certified for the revocation of the license, pursuant to 27 & 28 Vic., c. 47, s. 8. And where such license is forfeited or revoked, and an order for the convict's removal is received by the Constabulary, application should be made to the nearest Magistrate to grant his warrant, pursuant to the 9th section of this Act, for the convict's removal to Mountjoy Prison to undergo the remaining portion of his term of penal servitude.]

Coroners.-Coroners are entitled to receive the assistance of the Constabulary at all their inquests and protection in the execution of their office generally.

Report to Coroners. The law requires that "when any dead body shall be found, or any case of sudden death, or of death attended with suspicious circumstances shall occur in any district," the Constabulary shall give immediate notice thereof to the Coroner of the district, together with such information as they shall have been able to obtain, and any circumstances connected with such death that render an inquest necessary. In his report to Coroner the Constable should state correctly, if possible, the name of the deceased, the nature of the death, and any circumstances that render an inquest necessary. He should also state the name and address of the medical gentleman (if any) who was in attendance on the deceased immediately before or at the time of death.

Precept, &c., for inquest.-Upon receiving the Constabulary report, should the Coroner deem it necessary to hold an inquest, he will issue his precept to the District Inspector, or in his absence to the Head or other Constable acting for him, "to summon a sufficient number of persons to attend, and be sworn as jurors upon such inquest at the time and place specified in such precept. The Coroner will issue a summons for every witness whom he shall deem necessary to attend the inquest for the purpose of giving evidence ; and will deliver the summonses to the Sergeant of the place where the inquest is to be held who is required to proceed forthwith to serve them. Should the Coroner be absent, or unable to attend, a com

munication to that effect should be forthwith made to two of the nearest Magistrates, in order that they may hold the inquest.

Coroner's jury.-When a jury is to be summoned, the Head or other Constable is to fill up and sign the summonses, which should be provided by the Coroner; or if by the Constabulary, the Coroner should pay the expense. The persons qualified to serve on Coroners juries are such as are "resident within the district, (a) and rated to the relief of the poor in a sum of not less than £4." If a sufficient number so qualified cannot conveniently be had, the Constabulary may summon "such and so many fit and proper persons being householders, and residing within the county" where the inquest is to be held, as shall be necessary. The Constabulary should endeavour to procure persons of some intelligence and education to serve on juries. A relieving officer should not be summoned if it can be avoided,

Civil writs.--The Coroner, in the execution of civil writs, is entitled to receive from the Constabulary similar protection to that granted to the Sheriff.

General instructions.--When death is caused by any cart, car, or carriage, it should be identified by its number, or by the name and residence of the owner and driver, if they can be ascertained. So far as possible, the Constable should endeavour to préserve the body in the same position as when death occurred, or in which it was first discovered. Any papers or property found on searching the body of the deceased, also any weapon or instrument that might have been supposed to have been the means of death, the Constable should produce at the inquest. It is an indictable offence as a misdemeanour to bury the body where an inquest ought to be held before the inquisition is made; the Constabulary should, therefore, use every means (and force, if necessary, short of personal injury), to have the body kept for an inquest. Should

(a) The term "district" in Act means the Coroner's district, not the Constabulary district.

the Constabulary be unable to prevent the removal of the body, they should take the names of the persons resisting, and summon them before the Magistrates. The Coroner may make an order for the disinterment of a body in order to holding an inquest thereon within a reasonable time after the death of the said body.

Proceedings at inquest,-An inquest, being a judicial act, cannot be held on a Sunday; and if so held, it is void. A Coroner cannot hold an inquest without view of the body, and if he do so the inquisi tion is void; the body itself is part of the evidence before the jury. Every inquest must be held upon a view of the body on which the inquest is to be held, by the jury by which it is to be held; but they need not continue in the presence of the body for a longer time than it is necessary to view it. The jury must be sworn either before they view the body or during the view. The court is generally open to the public, but the public generally, or any individual in particular, may be excluded by order of the Court. No person has a right to interfere in the proceedings without leave of the Court. At least twelve, and not more than twenty-three jurors should be sworn, and twelve must agree in the verdict. The Coroner or Magistrates who hold the inquisition should take down the witnesses' examination in writing, or so much as is material, as near as possible in their very words. The Court must hear evidence on oath, as well for the party accused as for the Crown, if it be offered. After his examination has been read to him, the witness should sign it, and the Coroner or Magistrate should also subscribe it. The Coroner should bind over all those witnesses who prove any material fact against the party accused. After the evidence has been heard, the Coroner (or one of the Magistrates) should sum up the evidence, and state the law as applicable to the facts deposed to. If there be a difference of opinion, the Coroner collects the voices, beginning from the bottom of the panel, and accord