33. Mr. V. ADAMSasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has yet heard from the Governor of Ceylon as to whether any steps have been taken by him to obtain the consent of the Ministers and State Council to legislation required to set up a system of criminal appeal on the lines of the Criminal Appeal Act, 1907?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo, Sir. I will, however, inquire of the Governor what action has been taken in the matter?
Mr. ADAMISIn view of that, could the right hon. Gentleman have a shorthand note of the Judge's charge to the jury rendered available for the defence before the Privy Council in the event of an appeal?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI do not understand the hon. Gentleman's question. I was asked whether I have heard
from the Governor of Ceylon as to whether any steps have been taken by him to obtain the consent of the Ministers and State Council to legislation required to set up a system of criminal appeal on the lines of the Criminal Appeal Act, 1907.My answer to that is that I am making inquiries.
34. Mr. ADAMSasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of probation orders made by the criminal courts in Ceylon in the year 1931; the number of first offenders sentenced to imprisonment during that period and the number sentenced to terms of imprisonment of six months and under; the annual cost of maintenance of a prisoner in Ceylon and the average cost of super vision on probation of an offender for a period of one year; and whether he will take steps to bring to the notice of judges and magistrates in Ceylon the value of the probation system and the advisability of using it more freely in the interests of economy and of crime prevention?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERDuring 1931, 161 probation orders were made by the Courts in Ceylon; 9,976 first offenders were sentenced to imprisonment, including imprisonment in default of payment of a fine; and the average cost per head of prisoners was Us. 73.49 cents. The information at my disposal does not disclose the length of the terms of imprisonment imposed on first offenders or the cost of supervision of offenders on probation. The advisability of adopting the probation system for juvenile offenders has been the subject of correspondence with the Governments of all the Colonies, etc., in recent years. Its value is recognised in Ceylon, where a Central Probation Board has been set up, but I understand that the carrying out of the scheme proposed by that body has been deferred on financial grounds.