HC Deb 09 March 1939 vol 344 cc2336-7
52. Mr. Ammon

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it was on his advice that in a case heard, on 1st February, 1939, in the Brentford Police Court instructions were given to ask that the name of the prosecutor should not be divulged on the grounds of her husband's responsible position; and whether, having regard to abuses likely to arise through differentiation of treatment because of social position, no such advice will be given in future cases?

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Sir. Samuel Hoare)

I have made inquiry and am informed that the request that the name of the complainant should not be divulged was made by the complainant herself. There is no ground at all for the suggestion that advice was given by me or on my instructions or by any Government Department.

Mr. Ammon

Does not the right hon. Gentleman regard this case as a very dangerous precedent, seeing that the names of those who were prosecuted but were not convicted were published while the person who brought the unauthorised charge got away without any publicity?

Sir S. Hoare

I think that as a general rule there are great advantages in publicity, but there are certain cases, for instance, blackmail cases, in which an exception might be made.

Mr. Ammon

But is not the right hon. Gentleman evading the point? An accusation is brought against certain persons and they are found not guilty. Those who are found not guilty have their names blazoned forth—and there is bound to be some odium attaching to the proceedings—while the person who brought the false charge gets away without any publicity.

Sir S. Hoare

I have already said that as a general rule the proper practice is that there should be publicity.

Mr. Benjamin Smith

Then surely the right hon. Gentleman sees that any person can bring a charge in court and hide the fact of his responsibility for bringing that charge, and is the Minister condoning that?

Sir S. Hoare

No, I have made it clear that I do not condone it.

Mr. Bellenger

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the case mentioned is by no means rare; and that in the Central Criminal Court recently there was a case of a person being charged under an alias; and does he deprecate that sort of thing happening on social grounds?

Sir S. Hoare

Yes, Sir, I have said that I do deprecate it, because as a general rule I think that publicity is the right course.

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