§ Mr. Stonehouseasked the Attorney-General in what circumstances Mr. Garnet Charles Percy was kept in custody for 13 weeks and the prosecution then offered no evidence against him.
§ The Attorney-GeneralBail was refused by the magistrates in the exercise of their judicial discretion. It was not practicable for the Director of Public Prosecutions to consult the Law Officers about one of the charges against Mr. Percy, nor for the decision to be reached not to proceed further on that charge, until all the forensic evidence was available.
§ Mr. Stonehouseasked the Attorney-General what were the reasons for his delay in considering the case of Mr. Garnet Charles Percy.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThere was no avoidable delay in considering this case. The papers were received from the Director of Public Prosecutions on 5th February 1975. The Solicitor-General considered the case in my absence and certain further information was asked for 317W and obtained. The decision not to proceed further on a charge under the Explosive Substances Act 1883 was reached on 18th February 1975.