§ 28. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any appeal is possible from the sentence of 20 months' imprisonment imposed upon the Jew, Achi Meir, for belonging to an illegal association; and whether this sentence is in addition to the year he has already spent in prison on a charge of murder for which he has been acquitted?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister)Achi Meir was convicted on the 19th June by a district court on charges of conspiring to effect acts in furtherance of a seditious intention, being a member of an unlawful and seditious association and being in possession of seditious literature. In sentencing him to 21 months' imprisonment, the president of the court said that he gave full weight in determining the appropriate sentence to the fact that Achi Meir had been in custody for a very long time on another charge, but that he could not regard the offence as other than most serious and that 21 months was the least that he could impose. An appeal lies from the district court to the court of appeal within 10 days of conviction. No appeal has yet been lodged.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIf this sentence be justified, does the right hon. Gentleman think that he is justified in letting Jemal Husseini off with one month's imprisonment when he not merely made these speeches, but when they were followed by violence, and—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is another question.