§ 27. Mr. Muffasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the suggestion of counsel at the Leeds Assizes that a shorthand clerk should be employed to take down statements both of the police and persons being examined prior to being formally charged with serious offences; and will he take steps to put this suggestion into operation?
§ Sir S. HoareI agree; that it is desirable that so tar as practicable any statement by an accused person which is tendered in evidence should be given in the accused's own words, and that is the practice generally followed by the police. But I do not think that it would be either desirable or practicable to lay down any general rule that all questions and statements in serious cases should be taken down in shorthand. The whole question of such statements was carefully considered by the Royal Commission on Police Powers and Procedure and they pointed out that while certain general principles should be kept in mind it was impracticable to lay down any precise instructions as to the methods of taking such statement.