§ 28. Mr. Dewarasked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he is prepared to implement the recommendations of the Phillimore committee report on contempt of court which are relevant to the law of Scotland.
§ The Solicitor-General for ScotlandAs the hon. Gentleman will know, the previous Government did not implement the recommendations of the Phillimore committee but saw fit to present a discussion paper to Parliament in March 1978. Various comments were received and these have been studied carefully. This Government have declared their firm intention to bring forward during this Session a Bill to amend the law of contempt. It will be of United Kingdom application, with, of course, special reference to Scottish court procedure where 420 it differs from that applying elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. DewarWhile I welcome the hon. and learned Gentleman's good intentions, I should like to know whether the Bill will be introduced early in the new year') It is important, with papers circulating throughout the United Kingdom, that the law in that respect should be the same north and south of the Border. The Scottish press is still suffering from the dead hand of Lord Clyde. Is it not time that the influence was removed?
§ The Solicitor-General for ScotlandI cannot give an assurance that the Bill will be introduced early in the Session, but attempts will be made to ensure that the law in both parts of the United Kingdom is, as far as possible, the same. As the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar) will appreciate, as regards what he calls the dead hand of Lord Clyde, pronouncements in Hall were confirmed this morning by the High Court of Justiciary when the Glasgow Herald was fined £20,000 for contempt of court and the editor £750.