HC Deb 07 August 1877 vol 236 cc541-2
MR. RYDER

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention had been called to the statement in the "Times" of the 30th July, pointing out the great inconvenience which has resulted to suitors in consequence of the Judges at Croydon having declined to try there any but Surrey Causes; and, whether their so declining is not in contravention of the rights of suitors both at Common Law and under the Judicature Act?

MR. ASSHETON CROSS

, in reply, said, every suitor had a perfect right to name any county where his action might be tried; but, on the other hand, there was another right on the part of the Judge, and if he found an action set down for trial in a county which had no connection with the case he had a perfect right to send it back to the county to which it really belonged. "What had been done with regard to Surrey was this—Before the present arrangements were made the practice was that all sittings in London and Middlesex for the trial of jury cases came to a close towards the end of June, and, the Judges being on Circuit, from that time until the following November there were no means of trying causes in London or Middlesex. The result was that where there was any case pressing for trial the plaintiff set it down for trial at Guild-ford, Croydon, or any other place near London. One of the great objections to that practice was that from 100 to 300 cases were set down for trial which had nothing to do with the county of Surrey, and would have been tried in London if there had been means of trying them. That practice involved great expense through the cost of sending witnesses down; and it was suggested that Surrey being so near London the Surrey assizes might he dispensed with and Surrey cases be sent to London. That, however, was objected to, and it was then arranged that two of the Judges should sit in London and Middlesex and go down to Surrey for the purpose of trying Surrey cases. It was found that solicitors put down a great number of London cases for trial at Croydon, and an order was therefore made to get rid of that abuse.