§ Sir H. Morris-Jonesasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to a recent case at the Llandudno Petty Sessions in which the defendant, who was a Welsh-speaking Welshman, was refused the option of exercising his right under the Welsh Courts Act of giving his testimony in the Welsh language; and what steps he intends to take in the matter?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI am advised that Section 1 of the Welsh Courts Act, 1942, gives an absolute right to any party or 559W witness to use the Welsh language in any court in Wales (which for the purposes of this Act includes Monmouthshire) if he considers that he would otherwise be at any disadvantage by reason of his natural language of communication being Welsh, and that a court has no discretion in the matter. In order to avoid any future misunderstanding, steps are being taken to advise courts of summary jurisdiction in Wales and Monmouthshire in this sense.