§ 46. Mr. Sydney Silvermanasked the Attorney-General what was the total cost, direct and indirect, of sending Mr. Justice Birkett as an associate British judge to the Nuremberg trials.
§ The Solicitor-General (Sir Frank Soskice)The figure is estimated at £7,250. Of this sum, £5,263 is attributable to the proportion of the salaries of the Judge and his personal staff for the period of 11 months during which his services were engaged on the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. The above payment by way of salary was a payment on account of Mr. Justice Birkett's ordinary statutory salary, and he did not receive any additional salary for his services at the Nuremberg trial.
§ Mr. SilvermanMay I ask my hon. and learned Friend whether it was not one of the primary purposes of these trials to establish the proposition that those who spread race hatred by propaganda are as guilty of crimes against humanity as those who actually commit the crimes?
§ Mr. SpeakerIf the hon. Member is making any insinuation against a judge, he is out of Order.
§ Mr. SilvermanOn a point of Order. In view of what you have said, Mr. Speaker, may I explain that no such reflection was implied or intended by anything I have put upon the Order Paper or by anything I have to say; the reference to spreading race hatred was not directed against the judge, but against the man who was tried.
§ Mr. MarloweDoes not the hon. and learned Gentleman agree that this expenditure was fully justified by the valuable services rendered by this judge, and has not this Question been put on the Order Paper merely as an act of spite?
§ Mr. SpeakerWe had better not pursue this any further.