§ Mr. Collinsasked the Secretary of State for War the number of men held by the Army authorities on capital charges at the nearest convenient date, and also the average period from the date of the arrest to the date of trial and the conditions of their confinement, means of communication with next of kin and opportunities for securing civilian legal representation whilst awaiting trial.
§ Mr. LawsonI am afraid I could not state the number of men held on capital charges without first making inquiries of all Home and Overseas Commands. This would take some time. The period between arrest and date of trial necessarily varies with the nature of the charge, the conditions existing in the particular Command and the preliminary investigations required In general, all soldiers who are arrested for offences under the Army Act are brought to trial as quickly as possible. Soldiers awaiting trial for capital offences or otherwise are treated alike as regards conditions of confinement, communication with next-of-kin, and facilities for securing civilian legal representation. Such men are usually confined in the guard detention room of their unit. The normal means of communicating with their next-of-kin, or anyone else with whom they may wish to consult, are available. Civilian legal representation is allowed to an accused soldier except where such representation is not expedient or practicable in certain areas overseas or on active service.