HC Deb 02 November 1911 vol 30 cc1013-4
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTT

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the political libel action in which the hon. Member for East Wilts sued a Mr. Alfred Beesly for damages for libel arising out of criticism by the defendant of an election leaflet in which a certain statement was falsely attributed to the hon. Member for Waterford; whether he is aware that the plaintiff admitted that the cost of the leaflet was included in his election expenses, that the statement in it was false, and that if he had known it was false he would never have circulated it; whether he is aware that a special jury awarded £350 damages against the defendant; and whether the Government propose to take any steps to secure that in future political libel actions shall not be tried before a jury selected on a high property qualification?

Mr. McKENNA

I have only seen the newspaper reports of the case; but in these reports the circumstances are as stated by my hon. Friend. As my predecessor said in answer to questions in this House on 20th March and 27th April, the Government propose that there should be an inquiry into the present system of selecting jurors. I hope that circumstances will permit this inquiry to be undertaken shortly.

Sir F. BANBURY

Will the right hon. Gentleman endeavour to ensure that all actions brought against a Radical are adjudicated upon by a Radical jury?

Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTT

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in many of the poorer districts the only class of persons who have the necessary property qualification to serve on these juries are those persons who are connected with the licensed trade, and that in Bermondsey, out of 132 persons on the special jury list, 111 are connected with the licensed trade?

Mr. WALTER LONG

Will the inquiry to which the right hon. Gentleman referred be by a Departmental Committee or by a Royal Commission?

Mr. McKENNA

That will be a subject for consideration by the Government.

Mr. LANSBURY

Will the Commission also inquire as to the advisability of stopping the practice of appointing judges from among supporters of the Government of the day?

Mr. SPEAKER

That is wholly irrelevant.