10. Mr. MALONEasked the Home Secretary whether in view of the instruction given by the coroner to the jury at the inquest on a recent case where death was found to have been due to poisoning, namely, that they must name some person as having administered the poison in order that there might be further inquiry, and in view of the fact that another coroner gave a completely contrary instruction to the jury in similar circumstances, so that an open verdict was returned, he will consider the introduction of a Measure to define more clearly the instructions to coroners for advising juries in eases of this sort?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSIt would be wrong for me to comment on the discharge by any judicial officer of his judicial functions, but I am bound to say that I do not think that the effect of the coroner's directions is correctly stated in the first part of the question. In any case I see no reason as at present advised for considering any amendment of the law on this point.