18 OCTOBER 1935, Page 20

ROMAN CATHOLICS AND THE WOOLSACK [To the Editor of THE

SPECTATOR.] SIR,—In your issue of October 11th the " News of the Week " paragraph headed " High Court Changes," states that Mr. Wilfred Greene could not, as a Roman Catholic, occupy the Woolsack. On the point as one of practical polities I would not venture to dispute with you. On the constitutional point, however, I would like to point out that Lord Russell of Killowen, when Lord Chief Justice of England, sought- anonymously—the opinion of Mr. (later Lord) Haldane and three other well-known counsel as to whether a Roman Catholic could be Lord Lieutenant of Ireland or Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. The unanimous opinion delivered was ". that a Roman Catholic could, on a true construction of the statutes, hold the offices " (Richard Burdon Haldane, An Autobiography, pp. 67-68). It would be interesting to learn why you think that the new Lord Justice holds an opinion differing from one supported by so much learning and experience.—I am, Sir,

8 Wolverton Avenue, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey.

[We know of no actual ruling on the subject, but the whole weight of legal opinion is to the effect that the Lord Chancellor —" the keeper of the King's conscience "—cannot be a Roman Catholic any more than the Sovereign. Even the judgement of Lord Haldane cannot be accepted as decisiVe in the contrary sense.—En:" The Spectator.] •