§ 34. Mr. Pagetasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he saw the Lord Chief Justice about 1532 the Enahoro case; and whether he then informed him that the Nigerian Government proposed to exclude Mr. Foot and Mr. Gratiaen should they present themselves as counsel for Chief Enahoro.
§ Mr. BrookeNo, Sir. My consultation with the Lord Chief Justice was on 5th March. The information referred to was not given to me by the Nigerian authorities until 9th March.
§ Mr. PagetDid the right hon. Gentleman at any time give the Lord Chief Justice that information? Did he ever give the Attorney-General that information, or did he allow the Attorney-General to read his affidavit and thus cheat the courts as an innocent instrument?
§ Mr. BrookeI certainly cannot accept that sort of implication. I said in the debate on Monday—if the hon. and learned Gentleman had listened that the information given me by the Nigerian authorities was in the possession of the Government as a whole. I had only that one consultation with the Lord Chief Justice, which took place before I had received the confidential communication from Nigeria.
§ Mr. FletcherWill the Home Secretary say why, when he did receive the information from the Nigerian Government, he did not pass it on to the Lord Chief Justice?
§ Mr. BrookeIt did not occur to me that it was for me to do that.
§ Mr. PagetWill the right hon. Gentleman tell us fairly and squarely: had he told the Attorney-General prior to 22nd April when he signed the affadavit that my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Ipswich (Mr. D. Foot) and the other Queen's Counsel would not be admitted to Nigeria?
§ Mr. BrookeYes; I have said that now two, if not three, times.