LAW AND JUSTICE (INDIA)—COURTS OF LAW—MR. JUSTICE NORRIS— CONDITIONS OF ADMISSION FOR NATIVES.

HC Deb 07 May 1883 vol 279 cc35-6

MR. O'DONNELL

asked the Under Secretary of State for India, If his atten- tion has been directed to a statement in the "Times of India," that a native magistrate has prohibited natives from appearing in court with shoes on; whether a native pleader who contravened the order was turned out of court by order of the magistrate; whether the Deputy Commissioner being appealed to decided that— The native pleader had a right to enter court without removing his shoes, provided they were of European design; and, under what Law has such a regulation been authorised?

MR. J. K. CROSS

The India Office has no information on the subject beyond that derived from the newspaper report referred to by the hon. Member. On the general question of the wearing of shoes in the Courts of British India, I have nothing to add to the statement which I made in answer to the hon. Member on the 12th of March last, except that it is the custom not to require Natives wearing European shoes to remove them under ordinary circumstances.