§ 67. Mr. E. Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the concern felt at the recent decisions in re Hastings; and whether he will now introduce legislation to cure the defect, now revealed in the law, that no appeal lies from a refusal to grant a writ of habeas corpus.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerAs I informed the hon. Member on 11th December, I am considering, in consultation with my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor, the question of an appeal to the House of Lords where a writ of habeas corpus has been refused in a criminal case. A number of important issues are involved and I do not expect to be able to make a statement in the near future.