§ 21. Mr. COCKSasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to a tendency amongst coroners to hold inquests, especially in cases of suicide, in camera; and whether he will issue a circular to coroners expressing the view 507 that in the public interest all inquests, except in exceptional cases, should be held in public?
§ Sir J. GILMOURI am not aware of any such tendency and I have no authority to offer coroners any advice on this matter which is one for their own discretion, having regard to the circumstances of the particular case.
§ Mr. COCKSHas the right hon. Gentleman no authority to issue a circular to coroners? Cannot something be done in the public interest to see that these inquests are held in public?
§ Sir J. GILMOURI have no reason to think that the public interest is in any way being interfered with.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIs it not the case that my hon. Friend has been misinformed, and that neither of the two inquests he has in mind was held in camera?
§ Sir J. GILMOURI believe that is the case.
§ Mr. LOGANDoes the right hon. Gentleman not deprecate these sensational Press announcements in regard to these cases of suicides, as not being for the public good at all?
§ Sir J. GILMOURI think it is most undesirable that these cases should be gone into in the manner in which they are gone into sometimes.
§ Mr. COCKSDoes the right hon. Gentleman not remember the "brides in the bath case," where the murder was detected only because the inquests were held in public?
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIs the Home Secretary also aware that where these cases have been gone into in public several similar cases have followed almost immediately?