§ Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIENasked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been called to the frequent employment of Crown prosecutors in Ireland to act in civil matters on behalf of the United Irish League; whether he will consult the rota Judges in the East Cork election petition as to the propriety of the two senior prosecuting Crown counsel for county Cork and the junior Crown prosecutor for Cork City appearing on behalf of the respondent in this petition; whether, if charges of corrupt or illegal practices should be established before the petition Judges, the counsel in question would be officials who in the ordinary course should prosecute at assizes the persons for whom they are now retained; and whether, seeing that Crown solicitors are forbidden to take private practice in their counties where such practice might conflict with their duty in criminal cases, he will consider the desirability, with a view to increasing public confidence in the administration of the law, of extending a similar rule to Crown counsel?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYI cannot give any particulars relating to the general civil practice of the Crown Prosecutors in Ireland. Many of them are counsel of high standing, and their services are from time to time engaged by various classes of the people. There is, and could be, no limitation upon the privilege of members of the Bar to accept business from any persons desirous to retain them. I do not know if the gentlemen referred to are engaged as counsel for the respondent in the East Cork election petition, but, if they are, the matter is one of private concern to themselves, and is in no sense one for the consideration of the election judges. No counsel would think of prosecuting persons for whom they acted professionally586W in the case or transaction out of which the prosecution arose, and in the event supposed by the hon. Member the services of other counsel would be availed of. There is no analogy between the positions of Crown counsel and Crown solicitors, and there is no reason whatever for taking the course suggested at the conclusion of the hon. Member's question.