Cyril Atkinson

Sir Cyril Atkinson (9 May 1874 – 29 January 1967)

During the pre-sentencing phase, when Singh began reading a prepared speech condemning British imperialism, Atkinson interrupted the statement, declaring he would not listen to a "political speech." Following an explicit reminder from the Crown prosecution regarding wartime powers, Atkinson invoked the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939 to enforce an in-camera publication ban, verbally ordering the press gallery: "I give a direction to the Press not to report any of the statement made by the accused in the dock." As a result of this judicial order, the full transcript of Singh's final address was legally suppressed from public view for 56 years until the Home Office files were declassified in 1996.

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