§ Sir R. CLOUGHasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the British law of coercion in respect to the wife is adopted in the various courts in the different parts of the British Empire; and, if not, what law is followed in this respect?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLAs regards the Self-Governing Dominions, I could not undertake to set forth the law that is followed on such a point without consultation with the Governments concerned. In many Colonies English common and statute law in force at comparatively recent dates has been applied, and where this is the case it may be assumed that the doctrine of coercion extends also unless subsequent legislation in any particular Colony has abolished it. In other Colonies, however, the foundation of the local systems of law is not English law but some other code, and I cannot undertake to pronounce an opinion as to whether this doctrine forms a part of the various systems concerned which include Roman Law, Roman Dutch Law, the Indian Penal Code, the Code Napoleon and Ottoman Law, to mention a few instances.