§ 55. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sittings of the Criminal 115W Law Revision Committee have occurred; at what intervals and where they have sat; how many of these sittings have been in public; how many witnesses they have examined; and how many they plan to examine.
§ Miss PikeThe Criminal Law Revision Committee has held thirty meetings, not counting informal meetings when some of the members have met to discuss particular questions.
Intervals of meetings have varied according to the number and complexity of the subjects under reference at the time; but at present the Committee, which is considering three separate matters, is meeting at least once a week and will continue to do so until the Summer Recess. Meetings of the Committee involve the members in a great deal of preparatory work, and we are all very much indebted to the distinguished judges, practitioners and academic lawyers who are devoting so much of their time to the important work of criminal law reform.
The Committee, which usually meets at the Home Office, does not hear formal evidence and does not sit in public; but memoranda from interested bodies and persons are taken into consideration. In addition persons having practical experience in the subjects under consideration are consulted from time to time on particular questions and are sometimes invited to attend meetings.