§ 39. Mr. Stokesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what authority, and for what reason, permission was given to an ex-Law Officer to publish extracts selected by himself from the record of trials in which he had been engaged as a Law Officer and which the presiding judge had decided should be held in secret.
§ Sir D. Maxwell FyfeIt was decided in November, 1945, not to object to the publication of accounts of wartime trials held in camera, subject to the material being first submitted for examination and to the deletion of any information which it would still be contrary to the interests of public safety to disclose. I was satisfied that there was no security objection to the articles to which I believe the right hon. Gentleman to be referring.
§ Mr. StokesThat may very well be, but is the Home Secretary aware that I was refused access to these documents in 1948 by a former Attorney-General? Is he aware that a person who wished to make this publication quite recently applied both to the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Lord Chief Justice and was refused? Will he answer my Question by telling me by whom and on what authority permission to publish was granted?
§ Sir D. Maxwell FyfeThe right hon. Gentleman must remember that the decision in November, 1945, that in 1948, and I think another decision to which he refers, were all made by the Government which he ultimately honoured by joining.
§ Mr. StokesBut that does not answer my Question. May I ask the Home 2272 Secretary whether he thinks that it conforms with the best etiquette of his own profession that this should be done? Is it not most unfair that people who live in this country and who, in their own opinion, were punished unfairly should have these things dragged up for the purpose of providing newspaper articles when responsible authorities have refused publication of them?
§ Sir D. Maxwell FyfeThe right hon. Gentleman must take up a matter of public taste with his noble ex-Friend.
§ Mr. StokesNo, I propose to go on taking that up with the right hon. and learned Gentleman.