HC Deb 23 October 1967 vol 751 c385W
Mr. Whitaker

asked the Attorney-General whether he will take steps to ensure that representatives of the Press may be admitted to proceedings before Masters of the Queen's Bench Division.

The Attorney-General

My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor is satisfied that the practice of conducting interlocutory proceedings before Masters in private is in the public interest. Interlocutory proceedings which take place before the actual trial of an action are of a technical and procedural nature, and premature publication of what takes place might tend to prejudice the settlement of disputes and, in many cases, might unjustifiably affect the credit and reputation of litigants.