DIVORCS PROCEEDINGS

Taranaki Daily News, 13 December 1926, Page 9

DIVORCS PROCEEDINGS

REPORTING RESTRICTED NEW REGULATIONS MADE COMMONS PASS MEASURE By Telegraph—Proas Assn. —Copyright London, Dec. 10. In the House of Commons an attempt was made on the report stage of the Judicial Proceedings Regulation of Report Bill, which prohibits reporting judicial proceedings to the detriment of publie morals, to insert a new clause making newspaper proprietors not liable to conviction if the Court is satisfied the publication of the matter complained of was made without the proprietor’s knowledge. The promoters of the Bill, as well as Major Astor (Conservative, Dover) and Mr. H. B. Grottian (Conservative, Hull) opposed the clause. Major J. D. Birchall (Conservative, Leeds) said that for years past half of the space in a Sunday paper with a huge circulation had been devoted to crime of all kinds, particularly sexual. Surely the proprietor was morally, if not legally, responsible for its contents. The Solicitor-General (Sir T. W. H. Inskip) said it was inconceivable that editors would insert reports contrary to the proprietor’s wishes and directions. 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 The new clause was withdrawn. Replying to a question, the SolicitorGeneral said he thought Continental papers, including Continental editors of London papers, could be brought within the scope of the Bill if they circulated in Britain. Sir W. E. Hume-Williams (Conservative, Bassetlaw), moved an amendment forbidding the publication of articles by convicted persons. This is directed at the growing scandal of the publication by newspapers of murderers’ accounts of their lives and crimes. Sir T. W. H. Inskip, opposing the amendment, pointed out that there were already stringent regulations to prevent convicted persons writing newspaper articles. Those purporting to be such were describable as fictions and embroideries. The Speaker «ru)cd that the amendment was out of the scope of the Bill. The Ministry accepted Sir W. E. Hume-Williams’ amendment forbidding the description of the parties to divorce, but the House rejected his amendment which aimed at forbidding the publication of eoneise statements of the divorce charges and counter-charges. Mr. F. A. McQuisten (Conservative, Argyll), seconding a short amendment exempting working journalists and working printers from liability, and including the proprietors, said it was the men publishing newspapers, especially on Sundays, who got titles, but they should have got six months. The closure was applied to the Bill. Sir W. E. Hume-Williams, on the third reading, moved the rejection of the Bill, but the closure was again applied and the Bill was read a third time.