§ Mr. Dodds-Parkerasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what was the average time and the longest time which elapsed in Tanganyika in 1946 between the committal for trial of a person accused of murder and the pronouncement of sentence by the high court, or confirmation of sentence by the Court of Appeal for Eastern Africa in cases where an appeal was lodged; and whether he is satisfied that there is no undue delay in dealing with cases where the capital sentence is involved.
Mr. Creech JonesThe average time between the date of committal and the date of sentence by the High Court was 69 days and the longest time 142 days. The average time in cases of appeal between the sentence of the High Court and the judgment of the Court of Appeal was 66 days and the longest time 118 days. The two cases involving delays of 142 days and 118 days respectively were exceptional. In the first the accused was committed in a remote district of the Territory on 15th February and the information was filed in Dar-es-Salaam on 27th March. The High Court on circuit reached the district on 27th June. In the second case the High Court judgment was given on 2nd July and the Court of Appeal, which had just completed a session, did not sit again until October. I am satisfied that normally no undue delay occurs in disposing of murder cases, taking into consideration the distances involved and the means of communication.