during which time the population had risen from 3 to 12 million. Furthermore, there had been deaths as a result of epidemics and malnutrition, the latter particularly when there had been a shortage oE rice for the whole population oi the region. An attempt had been made to improve the situation by granting provisional release, moving prisoners to the countryside where they could engage in agricultural work, allowing families to provide food for detainees in addition to that supplied in prison and appointing prison doctors to combat the riGk of epidemics. Libertv and security of the vez&zR 544. In connection with that issue, members of the Committee wished to know what the maximum period of pre-trial detention was in law and practice; how quickly after arrest a person’s family was informed and how soon after arrest a person could contact a lawyer : whether there were any particular legal actions that could be taken in cases of detention, GUCh as &!&Bas corpusi and whether , in view of the long delays in bringing a person to trial, measures had been taken to reduce the number of those being held in detention pending trial and increasing the number of persons released on bail. In addition, it was asked why the Government had not repealed the ordinances sanctioning failure to fulfil a contractual obligation by imprisonment, which was not in conformity with article 11 of tho Covenant. Further information was also requested on the events of May 1990, which had led to the detention of persons who subsequently alleged that they had not had prompt access to their families or lawyers and had been subjected to maltreatment during their detention, and concerning the nature of non-military national service and its relation to the economic and social development of the country. 545. In his reply, the representative of the State party said that the maximum length of pre-trial detention, in law, was six months. In practice, however, such detention was commonly as much as 18 3r 20 months due to the lack of magistrates and to other material problems. The person’s family was informed as rapidly as possible so that family members could bring food to the detainees and the person could contact a lawyer immediately. Usually, the family arranged for legal assistance, but in other 0388s the administration ensured that the person had the services of a lawyer. There were no special legal remedies in cases of detention, such as -as corpus, other than the usual provisions prohibiting arbitrary arrest. Although bail was not a common practice in Madagascar, the provisional release of detainees was practised systematically in view of the overcrowding in the prisons, as well as the length of pre-trial detention. 546. Responding to other questions, the representative said that in May 1990, some 10 armed persons had forced their way into the broadcasting centre and held the personnel there hostage. Emergency measures had been taken following their capture. The persons concerned had had access to lawyers, although discretion had been maintained for a certain period in order to find the persons’ accomplices. Legal provisions relating to article 11 of the Covenant were under review and would be repealed or amended as appropriate. The judiciary itself had also recognised that the ordinances in question were irrelevant and inconsistent with the Covenant and the Constitution. The practice of non-military national service dated back to the time of the literacy campaigns in the 1970s and 198Os, for which there had been iJlSUfficieJlt teachers. The Government had therefore decided to mobiliee young -134-