§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask Mr. Attorney General, whether his attention has been directed to the remarks of the Lord Chief Justice of England, in which Mr. Justice Wright concurred in his judgment in the Queen's Bench Division in the case of Payne v. Cooper, to the effect that applications for committal for contempt of court had of late been much too numerous, and that in some instances the decisions had gone too far; and, whether, having regard to the fact that the power of committal for contempt of court is not subject to appeal or supervision, and uncontrolled by the prerogative of pardon, the Government will take into consideration the propriety, at an early day, of proposing legislation with a view to the definition and limitation of this power?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir RICHARD WEBSTER,) Isle of WightI noticed the remarks of the Lord Chief Justice and Mr. Justice Wright in the case referred to in the hon. Member's question. There is not, in my opinion, sufficient necessity for any legislation upon the subject of contempt of court.
§ MR. MACNEILLIs the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that some legislation on the subject was promised?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERALI do not think there was any unqualified promise.