§ Mr. CAIRNSasked the Home Secretary if he will state the number of persons who appealed to or petitioned his Department during the three years 1916, 1917, and 1918, alleging or implying that they had been wrongly convicted and were unable to obtain redress in the Courts; and what were the results?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODDuring those years between 9,000 and 10,000 petitions from prisoners were received at the Home Office and over 14,000 petitions or letters from other persons which were entered as relating to criminal cases. A large proportion—probably at least a half—complained of some conviction or sentence, but very few made out even aprimâ facie case for thinking there had been any miscarriage of justice. It is impossible to give any precise figures
§ Mr. CAIRNSasked the Home Secretary the number of persons tried by jury during the three years 1916, 1917, and 1918; the number convicted; and the number who asked to be allowed to appeal and the results?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODThe number of persons tried by jury was 4,904 in 1916 and 5,548 in 1917. The number convicted was 3,903 in 1916 and 4,403 in 1917. The figures for 1918 are not yet available. The number of applications for leave to appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeal was 251 in 1916 and 252 in 1917, and, in addition, thirty-five persons in 1916 and thirty-eight in 1917 appealed to the Court on a point of law or with the judge's certificate. In 1916 nine convictions and one sentence were quashed, and in 1917 fifteen convictions and two sentences were quashed. Further, in 1916 in fourteen 69W cases, and in 1917 in thirteen cases, a different sentence was substituted for that originally imposed, and in 1917 in one case a conviction for another offence was substituted for the original conviction. In the other cases the appeals either failed or were abandoned.