Country Magistrate

Overview

This film deals with the administration of justice on the local level in Canada, as seen in the activities of Roderick Haig-Brown, fisherman, writer and magistrate in rural British Columbia. A portrayal of a few of the typical cases on his roster indicates the variety of criminal offences which come under the jurisdiction of a country magistrate's court. In showing the discharge of his responsibilities the film reveals the magistrate's important position in the community, the constant demands on his time, and the integrity of judgment required to uphold the law on the one hand and to act in executive restraint of police powers on the other. Based on parts of the book Measure of the Year by Roderick Haig-Brown.