§ Mr. Leeasked the Attorney-General on how many occasions during the past two years police officers have been granted authority to examine the antecedent history of jurors called to be empanelled in criminal trials on indictment; in how many such cases the history of such jurors was not divulged to defence legal representatives on the occasion when such jurors were summoned to be empanelled; in how many such cases the jurors' case histories were divulged to defence representatives; in how many cases these antecedent investigations occurred before the number of peremptory jury challenges by the defence were reduced from seven
Economic Planning Region Non-industrial (as at 1 October 1978) Industrial (as at 1 January 1979) Total Northern … … 35,700 5,700 41,400 Yorkshire and Humberside … … 30,800 7,200 38,000 East Midlands … … 21,600 7,700 29,300 East Anglia … … 12,200 2,800 15,000 South-East … … 231,900 61,600 293,500 South-West … … 51,600 32,100 83,700 West Midlands … … 29,000 7,500 36,500 North-West … … 57,000 10,500 67,500 Total … … 469,800 135,100 604,900 Note: All figures rounded to the nearest 100.
306Wto three; how many since this reduction; Restrictive Trade Practices and if he will make a statement.
The Attorney-GeneralBetween 1 January 1977 and the end of 1978 jury checks were authorised in 11 cases. Of these, five were authorised in the eight months before 8 September 1977, when the reduction in the number of peremptory challenges came into force, and six in the 17 months from that date to the end of 1978.
The duties of Crown counsel when, as a result of a jury check, he has received any information which may be of value to the defence, are set out in my statement of 10 October 1978, a copy of which has been laid in the Library of the House. Information received as a result of a jury check is made available in appropriate cases in confidence to defence counsel. No record is kept of such confidential communications.