HC Deb 24 July 1882 vol 272 cc1545-6
MR. RANKIN

asked Mr. Attorney General, With what object it is proposed by Clause 7 of "The Supreme Court of Judicature Amendment Bill, 1882," to extend the operation of the Winter Assize Act of 1876 to the month of February, seeing that the special assizes held by virtue of that Act now take place in the months of October and November; and, whether that proposed extension aims at the application of the grouping system to the ordinary civil and criminal assizes now held in January and February, notwithstanding the provision in the Spring Assize Act of 1879, that separate assizes in and for each county shall still be held twice a year?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir HENRY JAMES)

said, if Parliament gave its sanction to Clause 7 of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act, he thought there would be power to group Assizes for both civil and criminal business, and he thought such grouping would not necessarily interfere with the provisions of the Assize Act of 1879.