HC Deb 02 September 1886 vol 308 cc1079-80
MR. M. HEALY (Cork)

asked Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, Whether it is the fact that the Winter Assizes for the Munster Assize County have been held in the City of Cork every year except one since the Winter Assizes Act was passed in 1877; whether, in the other provinces, a similar practice of confining the Winter Assizes to one city prevails; whether it is the fact that an additional county (Tipperary) has now been added to the four already included in the Cork Winter Assize County; whether his attention has been called to the repeated complaints of the jurors of the City of Cork as to their being summoned year after year to try prisoners from nearly the whole of Munster, and to the recent resolution of the Cork Chamber of Commerce and Shipping on the subject; and, whether it is proposed to hold the Munster Winter Assizes in Cork this year?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. HOLMES) (Dublin University)

In consequence of the city of Cork being so much the most convenient place for holding the Southern Winter Assizes, which, on the last occasion, included county Tipperary, they have been uniformly held there. Neither the same reason nor the same practice exists in any other Province. I have read the Resolution of the Cork Chamber of Commerce and Shipping on the subject, and I have no doubt that the jurors feel the work irksome. I am sure, however, that they will be still as willing as they have been hitherto to perform the duties im- posed on them by the State for the public interest.

MR. M. HEALY

The right hon. and learned Gentleman has not answered the last portion of the Question.

MR. HOLMES

I have more than once said that at the present time it would be impossible to make arrangements for the Winter Assizes, because they cannot be well made until the month of November. It is right to say that it seems to me that the same considerations of convenience which existed with regard to Cork last time will probably apply on this occasion also.

MR. E. HARRINGTON (Kerry, W.)

asked, whether it was not the invariable practice at the Winter Assizes to try all the cases from county Kerry at Cork?

MR. HOLMES

The same rules applied with regard to Kerry cases as with regard to other cases.

MR. E. HARRINGTON

inquired if the right hon. and learned Gentleman was aware that there were four times as many Kerry cases tried at the Cork Winter Assizes as there were at the two Assizes held in the county of Kerry?

[No reply.]