Duration of cases in the Punjab Magisterial Courts

IN our leading article yesterday we protested against the assumption of the Government that a longer duration in the disposal of criminal cases by magistrates was itself an evil and led to the acquittal of criminals who deserved to be convicted. We have not yet seen the report on the administration of criminal justice and are not in a position to say what view the Judges themselves take of the connection between duration and conviction. It is unreasonable to desire a shorter duration at any cost in order to secure a larger percentage of convictions. The Government, we hope, will recognise the effect upon the course of justice of any injudicious direction to the subordinate magistracy in a Province like ours. Even without such a direction from Government the position is bad enough.