§ Sir A. WILSONasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many sentences of death have been passed in each of the Crown Colonies of West Africa during the past 15 years; in how many cases these have been reversed or commuted on appeal; in how many cases in each category the accused person was not allowed to be heard by counsel; and whether refusal of judges to hear counsel in such cases in certain native courts in the Protectorate of Nigeria is a matter of native practice and custom or was introduced by British officers administering the protectorate?
Mr. THOMASI will obtain the information desired in the first three parts of the question, if it is available, from the Governments of the West African 919W Dependencies. As regards the last part of the question the legal provision excluding counsel from certain native courts in the Protectorate of Nigeria is based on native practice and custom.