Report No. 24

17. Assistance to Commission for purposes of investigation.-

The question as to the manner in which a Commission of Inquiry may be assisted in the matter of investigation may also be considered. In England, there is a Treasury Solicitor with a permanent staff who works under the directions of the Tribunals constituted under the English Act. The Treasury Solicitor performs the functions of investigation which in a criminal case are performed by the police. He sifts the facts and finds out what witnesses should be examined and collects other material which will be useful to the Tribunal. It has been suggested that a similar machinery should be set up in this country. We commend this suggestion to the Government. The setting up of such a machinery will relieve the Commissions of Inquiry of a great deal of preliminary and routine work over which it should not waste its time.