§ 40. Mr. Arthur Davidsonasked the Attorney-General when he expects to receive the reports from the committees examining the law of contempt and the law of libel.
§ The Attorney-GeneralIt is hoped that the report of the Committee on the Law of Contempt will now be received in the summer, and that that of the Committee on Defamation may be received before the end of this year.
§ Mr. DavidsonHow can the Attorney-General justify the excessive and increasing use which he and the Government have made of the law of contempt, particularly at a time when that law is being examined with a view to possible clarification? Is he not aware that, certainly with the contempt action concerning the Distillers Company, the effect of his action was to prevent the free flow of information on matters about which the public had a right to know? How can he jusify his apparent enthusiasm for the law of contempt bearing in mind that when he was in opposition he was 1062 so much against it at the time of Aberfan?
§ The Attorney-GeneralI am surprised that the hon. Gentleman, a learned Member, as I understand it, of this House, should make those comments. He must know that the recent proceedings were instituted after a document had been submitted to me with the comments of the newspaper and that the newspaper had said that it welcomed the fact that proceedings had been brought. Those are the proceedings to which he refers. The committee examining the law of contempt is examining a matter which all have thought needed examination. I welcome that. I think that the House and the newspaper industry will welcome that committee's report, which we expect to receive in the summer.