§ Mrs. Corbetasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware of the suffering caused where coroners' juries, often against the advice of the coroner, return verdicts of man-slaughter; that such verdicts have, on occasions, been criticised by the court in 106W subsequent criminal prosecutions; and, in view of the waste of public money involved, if he will consider making an investigation into the procedure at coroners' courts, with special reference to the introduction of legislation to discontinue the jury system thereat.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeThe law and practice of coroners was the subject of a report by a Departmental committee in 1936. This committee recommended the retention of the jury system for the limited classes of case in which the coroner is at present required by law to sit with a jury. I do not think that it is necessary to institute any further inquiry, and I could not hold out any hope of legislation on this subject.