MORALS OF THE PRESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19509, 13 December 1926, Page 11

MORALS OF THE PRESS.

REPORTS OF COURT CASES.

QUESTION OF REGULATION.

LEGISLATION IN BRITAIN.

By Telegraph— Pre3s Association—Copyright. A, and N.Z. LONDON. Dec. 10.

In the House of Commons, on the report stage of the Judicial Proceedings (Regulation of Reports) Bill, which prohibits the reporting of judicial proceedings to the detriment of public morals, an attempt was made to insert a new clause making newspaper proprietors not liable to conviction, if the Court is satisfied that the publication of the matter complained of was made without the knowledge of the proprietors of the paper. The promoters of the bill, as well as Major the Hon. J. J. Astor (Con., Dover) ana Mr. H. B. Grotrian, K. C. (Con., Hull) opposed the clause.

Major V. Birchull {Con., Leeds) said that for years [past half .of the spaco in a Sunday paper with a hugo circulation had been devoted to crime of all kinds, particularly to those of a sexual nature- Surely the proprietor was morally, if not legally, responsible for the contents of the paper. The Solicitor-General, Sir Thomas Inskip, said it was inconceivable that editors would insert reports contrary to the wishes and directions of their proprietors. If the bill encouraged proprietors to take a personal interest in their newspapers, it would be all to the good. The new clause was withdrawn.

Sir Thomas Inskip, replying to a question, said he thought that the Continental newspapers, including the Continental editions of Londou papers, could be brought within the scope of the bill, if they were circulated iu Britain.

Sir Ellis Hume-Williams, K.C. (Con., Notts) moved an amendment forbidding the publication of articles by convicted persons. This was directed at the growing scandal of the publication by newspapers of accounts by murderers of their crimes, and tho stories of their lives. Sir Thomas Inskip, opposing the amendment, pointed out that there were already stringent regulations, designed to prevent convicted persons from writing newspaper articles. Those purporting to be such could be described asi fictions and embroideries.

The Speaker ruled that the amendment was outside the scope of tho bill. The Ministry accepted Sir Ellis HumeWilliams'• amendment, forbidding the publication of ,the description of the parties to a suit for divorce, but the House rejected his amendment aimectjat forbidding the publication of concise statements of the charges and counter-charges in diyorco cases.

Sir I''. A. McQuisten, Iv.C., (Con., Argyle), who seconded a short amendment exempting working journalists and printers from liability, and including proprietors of newspapers, said there were men publishing newspapers, especially Sunday newspapers, who had been given titles, tut who should have been given six months. The closure was applied to the bill. Sir Ellis Hume-Williams, on the third reading, moved its rejection, but the closure was again applied, and the bill was read a third time.