§ 14. Mr. Collinsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, to enable a jury to be able to judge whether or not there has been any unfairness to the accused arising from the selection of persons taking part in the parade, he will give instructions to the Metropolitan Police that a photograph of the parade shall be taken whenever an identity parade is held.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerI would refer the hon. Member to the reply to his previous Question on 7th March, 1957.
§ Mr. CollinsHas the right hon. Gentleman considered the fact that wrongful convictions have occurred based solely on identification? Does he not, 1334 therefore, think that if even a few innocent persons were saved from imprisonment it would be well worth while to have photographs taken on identification parades so that juries could consider them and thus possibly avoid wrongful convictions?
§ Mr. ButlerA suspected person's attention must under the Regulations be drawn to his right to have his legal representative or a friend present and to his right to object to any member of the parade, or to any arrangements. If he feels the parade is unrepresentative or unfair he can object, and his attention is drawn to that right. Moreover, on the subject of photographing, the police have no power to photograph these people without their consent, and they might well object; so there would be very real difficulties in adopting the hon. Member's suggestion.