Solicitor-General conceded that amendments to the Regula- tions were necessary, making provisions "which would make it mandatory to supply the detainee with such information concerning his detention as is consistent with the mainten- ance of security." A copy of the Solicitor-General's reply is annexed to this Report as appendix "B".
It is to be noted that since the exchange of letters as above, by the Emergency (Committee of Review) (Amend- ment) Rules 1967, Government has purported to cure the injustice by amendments to the Committee of Review Rules. While the new amendment purports to remedy the admittedly undesirable, unjust and unsupportable situation whereby a person can be detained without any expressed reason, its text does nothing of the kind. The amended Rules make provision for giving "such information relating to the deten- tion of the person as the Colonial Secretary may authorize”. In other words, just as the Colonial Secretary is given a com- plete carte blanche in exercising his powers of detention, so he is given a complete carte blanche when it comes to decid- ing whether and what reasons for such detention ought to be given. The Bar Committee finds it difficult to justify the conferring of such unfettered powers on the Executive. The inference is that by the amended Rules Government is not prepared to do more than give the semblance of fair play without conceding its substance.
LEGAL AID IN CRIMINAL CASES
COUNSEL'S FEES AND ASSIGNMENTS
Negotiations have been carried on with the Chief Justice throughout the whole of my year of office for the upward revision of the fees to counsel assigned in such cases. Negotiations were also carried on by your Chairman of last
year.
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