§ 5. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the problem caused by persons acquitted on criminal charges being deprived of costs incurred in presenting their defence.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerI would invite the hon. and learned Member's attention to the statement made on 19th October by the Lord Chief Justice in the Court of Criminal Appeal, in which he made it clear that the discretion of the courts to award costs out of local funds to an acquitted defendant was an unfettered one, and said that costs might, and should, be awarded in all cases where the court thought it right to do so.