§ Mr. Sedgemoreasked the Attorney-General (1) if it is still the policy of the Crown to object to jurors on the grounds of their political beliefs;
(2) how the political beliefs of jurors are established in order that objection 217W can be made to certain persons sitting on juries.
§ The Attorney-GeneralIt is not the practice of the Crown to object to jurors on the grounds of their political beliefs as such. Political beliefs are relevant only to the extent that, depending on the nature of the charges, political views held to an extreme may impair the impartiality of jurors, or give rise to the possibility of improper pressure. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and I are reviewing the position to ensure that the balance between prosecution and defence is held as fairly as possible and my right hon. Friend will be writing to the hon. Member shortly.