▁bir ch . ▁God d ard ▁attacked ▁the ▁Bill ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords , ▁making ▁his ▁ma iden ▁speech , ▁saying ▁he ▁agreed ▁with ▁the ▁abol ition ▁of ▁the ▁" cat " ▁but ▁not ▁bir ch ing , ▁which ▁he ▁regarded ▁as ▁an ▁effective ▁pun ishment ▁for ▁young ▁off enders . ▁He ▁also ▁disag re ed ▁with ▁the ▁automatic ▁commut ation ▁of ▁death ▁sentences , ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁contrary ▁to ▁the ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁debate , ▁he ▁once ▁referred ▁to ▁a ▁case ▁he ▁had ▁tried ▁of ▁an ▁agricult ural ▁labour er ▁who ▁had ▁assault ed ▁a ▁j ew eller ; ▁God d ard ▁gave ▁him ▁a ▁short ▁two ▁months ' ▁imprison ment ▁and ▁twelve ▁stro kes ▁of ▁the ▁bir ch ▁because ▁" I ▁was ▁not ▁then ▁dep riv ing ▁the ▁country ▁of ▁the ▁services ▁of ▁a ▁good ▁agricult ural ▁labour er ▁over ▁the ▁har vest ". ▁The ▁susp ension ▁of ▁capital ▁pun ishment ▁was ▁revers ed ▁by ▁ 1 8 1 ▁to ▁ 2 8 , ▁and ▁a ▁further ▁am end ment ▁to ▁retain ▁the ▁bir ch ▁was ▁also ▁passed ▁( though ▁the ▁L ords ▁were ▁later ▁forced ▁to ▁give ▁way ▁on ▁this ▁issue ). ▁As ▁the ▁crime ▁rate ▁continued ▁to ▁rise , ▁God d ard ▁became ▁convinced ▁that ▁the ▁C riminal ▁Justice ▁Act ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁was ▁responsible ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁' G ang ster ' s ▁Char ter '. ▁He ▁held ▁a ▁strong ▁belief ▁that ▁pun ishment ▁had ▁to ▁be