§ Mr. StephenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to modify the right of silence so that courts may take fully into account the failure of defendants to answer questions put to them by an investigating officer in the presence of their solicitor and recorded on videotape.
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§ Mr. JackThe opportunities available for an accused person to state his position and the extent to which it might be appropriate for courts to draw proper inferences from his failure to do so, are among the matters being considered by the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice, which will be taking into consideration both the existing safeguards for accused persons and the potential for any further safeguards. The Government intend to study the Royal Commission's conclusions before deciding any and if so what changes may be necessary.