HC Deb 15 July 1948 vol 453 c1589

1.0 a.m.

Lords Amendment: In page 34, line 15, at end, insert "and any juror or jurors for cause."

Mr. Ede

I beg to move, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."

In moving to agree with this Amendment and those in lines 15, 18 and 19 I ought to say that those of us who served on the Committee gave a great deal of attention to the right of challenge being retained, and I think that these Amendments clarify the position and make it beyond doubt what the right will be. The proviso which has been inserted requires that an opportunity to challenge each juror separately shall be furnished to the prosecution and the accused before the oath is administered. The method by which this opportunity is to be given is to be laid down by the judges. The procedure will be probably that each juror will have to stand and answer to his name so that the challenger may be able to identify the person or name of the person against whom he may object. I think that we have satisfactorily solved the various problems confronting us when the original alteration was proposed.

Mr. Manningham-Buller

I think that the Home Secretary is quite right and I thank him. May I draw attention to a serious error of spelling of "challenge" in line 14?