1764.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference:-
་། ། ་། ་། ..................................C.O. 537
361
RECORD OFFICE, LONDON OUT PERMISSION OF THE PUBLIC REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHICALLY WITH- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH - NOT TO BE
780
Mr Shelton Hooper:- Mr Chairman, I want to go back to a ruling you made the
other day. I dont think I need go into it.
The Chairman: -
The point was whether Dr Bell should be made to answer
a question, with respect to his chief.
Er Shelton Hooper:- (quotes from evidende).
The Chairman:-
Kr Shelton Rooper:-
he Chairman :-
My objection all through was that he was not bound to
criticise his chief.
The point I want is - no sa there will be no misunder-
standing for the future; No Government officer can
pload privilege before the Commission at all. He is
bound to answer everything, whether it criticises the
chief of his Department, or the Department he is in.
Further than this, he cannot plead privilege even if he
incriminates himself, which goes further than criticis-
ing his chief, My authority for that is the Attorney
General, whom I got to decide that, and, I believe,
the Commission presided over by Lord Justice Featherly
at home. You will see subordinate officers in the Army
freely criticising their ohief, and the very reason of
this Commission is that we may get their views, that
they are able to give, converning their Department,
because this is a free and open Board, and they are
infettered. I took upon myself to ask the Attorney
General, because I thought, in view of the officers I
am going to call - the Sanitary Inspectora - and who
I shall ask freely to criticise their superiors, I did
not want the question to arise again.
I think still my ruling was right, and I hold te it,
and if a man of Dr Bell's position did not wish to
criticise the P. 0. X. 0., because Dr Bell has, mind
you, nothing to do with the work of the Sanitary
Department, he was not bound to answer the question.
He is different from other officers such as Kr Voodoook
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