HC Deb 04 March 1892 vol 2 cc44-6
MR. M'CARTAN

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, with reference to the death of P. W. Nally in Mountjoy Gaol, whether the Coroner of the City of Dublin has been asked for copies of the depositions taken at the inquest; and, if not, what steps he proposes to take in order to have a copy of the evidence and verdict laid upon the Table of the House?

MR. JACKSON

No application has been made, I understand, to the Coroner for a copy of the depositions referred to. The Government are not in possession of any official report of the proceedings, and I cannot take upon myself the responsibility of laying upon the Table copies of documents as to which there is no official cognizance of the facts.

MR. SEXTON

Do the Government intend to make application to the Coroner for copies of the depositions?

MR. JACKSON

It was not contemplated to ask the Coroner. I am not aware of any precedent for such a course. If the depositions were put upon the Table by the Government it would put them in the position of vouching for them, which they cannot do.

MR. SEXTON

I did not ask the Government to vouch for them. What I ask is that they should apply to the Coroner for a copy of the depositions taken at the inquest, these depositions being very material for the debate that we intend to raise.

MR. JACKSON

I have already said, Sir, that I am not aware of any precedent for applying to the Coroner for a copy of such document. If they did, the Government would make themselves responsible for laying on the Table these documents, of the accuracy of which they cannot be certain.

MR. SEXTON

I wish to give notice that such statements before the Coroner were made upon oath. I shall at the earliest opportunity move for the production of these documents.

MR. MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)

I should like to ask the Attorney General for Ireland whether in criminal trials depositions are not, as a matter of course, given to the counsel on both sides; and also, I should like to ask, whether it is not possible to have a trial upon the Coroner's inquisition without any Grand Jury at all?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. MADDEN,) Dublin University

Yes, Sir; but that is a course which has been disused for many years alike in England and in Ireland There is no obligation imposed by law on the Coroners to prepare or furnish copies of depositions unless an indictment be found on the Coroner's inquisition, in which case, and in which case only, is a Coroner bound to supply written copies of the depositions. In this case no obligation lies.

MR. MACNEILL

Has no application been made to the Coroner?

MR. JACKSON

I have already said no.