§ 16. Mr. PARKINSON (for Mr. RHYS DAVIES)asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the growing practice in a certain section of the Press of publishing the names of juvenile offenders, particularly in connection with sexual offences, charged in summary courts of justice, he will issue a circular recommending magistrates to request all Press reporters to refrain from this practice?
Sir J. GILNIOURAs the hon. Member is no doubt aware, the effect of sections 39 and 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, will be to prohibit generally the publication of the name of any child or young person concerned in any proceedings in a Juvenile Court, and to enable any other Court to direct that no newspaper report shall reveal the name of any child or young person concerned in any proceedings in the Court which arise out of any offence against decency or morality. These provisions will take effect on 1st November, the date on which I propose to bring the Act into force. I have no evidence of any such growing practice as the hon. Member refers to, and as I feel sure that the Press generally may be relied on to give effect to the spirit of the provisions contained in the Act, I do not think it necessary to issue any special circular to magistrates.