§ *MR. MARSHALL HALL (Lancashire, Southport)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce a short Bill making it a misdemeanour punishable on conviction by fine or imprisonment, or both, for any person to publish in the press or in any public manner whatsoever any comment upon any criminal charge or accusation made against any individual whilst the hearing or determination of such charge or accusation is pending either before a Court of Summary Jurisdiction or before a Court of Record.
§ *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. RITCHIE,) CroydonComments in the press upon a criminal charge whilst the hearing is pending cannot, in my opinion, be too strongly condemned. I am now considering with the law officers whether the law as it stands is not sufficiently strong to deal with such cases as that referred to in the question.