§ Mr. McENTEEasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the draft Bill revising and codifying the ordinances relating to criminal law and procedure in Gambia has been submitted to him for approval; if so, when; and what action he has taken or proposes to take?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI have not received the draft measure to which the hon. Member refers; but I am awaiting the report of a committee which has been set up to examine the law and prepare draft Bills.
§ Mr. McENTEEasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement to the House regarding the petitions sent to him from Gambia in favour of constitutional reforms, stating from whom these petitions have been received, the nature of the reforms requested by the petitioners, and the policy of His Majesty's Government in this matter?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI received petitions from the Gambia in June last signed by Mr. Rendall, an African inhabitant of the Colony, communicating resolutions passed at a meeting of inhabitants of Bathurst in favour of the inclusion of elected members in,' the Legislative Council and of African unofficial members 1027W in the Executive Council of the Colony. I decided that there were no grounds for making the proposed changes and Mr. Rendall was informed accordingly.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies particulars of the protests he has received from representative or mass meetings in Gambia with reference to the projected introduction of a new penal code, and further state the policy of His Majesty's Government in this matter?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERRepresentations have been received at the Colonial Office chiefly purporting to be resolutions adopted at meetings of inhabitants of Bathurst protesting against the proposed introduction of a penal code for the Gambia. The gist of these resolutions is that there is no necessity for any change in the present state of the criminal law: and objection is raised especially to the introduction of any form of codified criminal law. I am not in a position to say anything about the policy of His Majesty's Government in the matter until I have received and considered the report of the committee which has been appointed to examine the law and prepare a draft Ordinance.