§ Lieut.-Colonel HILDERasked the Attorney-General if he will inform the House whether, in the case of inhabitants, or a class of inhabitants, in Palestine, considering that they are suffering a grievance, and being dissatisfied with the decisions of the local Court, they have the right to appeal to His Majesty in Privy Council, or whether their proper recourse is to the International Court of Justice under the League of Nations; and would His Majesty's Government put any obstacles in the way of an appeal to the Privy Council to test the legality of certain administrative acts in Palestine?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLIn the draft Constitution for Palestine at present under consideration it is proposed that in civil suits, when the amount or value in dispute exceeds £E500, an appeal shall lie from the Supreme Court to His Majesty in Council. It is, moreover, proposed that if any religious community or considerable section of the population complain that the terms of the Mandate are not being fulfilled by the Government of Palestine, it shall be entitled to present a Memorandum through a member of the Legislative Council to the High Commissioner. Such Memorandum shall be forwarded to the Secretary of State, for submission to the Council of the League of Nations, unless the High Commissioner give the petitioner his reasons in writing for not forwarding it. I see no necessity for any further right of appeal to the Privy Council.