SIR HENRY DRUMMOND WOLFEasked Sir HENRY SELWIN-IBBETSON, in the absence of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether it is true that when a soldier stationed at Jersey is charged with any offence before the Royal Court of that Island, the proceedings are conducted in French, and the soldier is not allowed the assistance of an interpreter?
§ SIR HENRY SELWIN-IBBETSON, in reply, said, he had received a telegram from the Governor of Jersey, to the effect that the language of the Royal Court of Jersey, in civil and criminal cases, was, and always had been, in French. A soldier, on being brought before that Court, was treated in the 1636 same way as any other person. If he had not chosen an advocate, the Court assigned him one, and the duty of that advocate was to watch the proceedings and conduct the defence, and to give to the party all the assistance that he could. There was no sworn interpreter to the Royal Court, and as the person who was brought there would have an advocate, it was not usual to employ an interpreter. There was, however, no objection to one being employed, if application was made to the Court.