§ SIR JOHN LUBBOCKasked Mr. Attorney General, Whether, considering how general the Bank Holidays have become, the Lord Chancellor will provide that the Law Courts and Offices shall be closed on Whit Monday?
THE ATTORNEY GENERALIn answer, Sir, to the Question of the hon. Baronet, I have to state that the Lord Chancellor exercises control over the holidays in the Court of Chancery, but not over the Courts of Common Law. The latter are regulated by statute passed in the reign of William IV., and by such statute Whit Monday and Whit Tuesday, as well as certain other days, are appointed to be kept as holidays, provided they do not fall in Term Time; but as Trinity Term this year commences on Friday next, it follows that Whit Monday will fall in Term Time, and will, consequently, not be a holiday. As regards the Courts of Chancery, I have communicated with the Lord Chancellor on the subject of the hon. Baronet's Question, and am informed by him that he does not think it advisable to order that the Courts and Offices shall be closed on Whit Monday. As Term will only commence on Friday next, it would, in his opinion, be inconvenient to make a holiday on the third working day after the vacation, and the more so as the Courts and Offices will be closed on the following Saturday in honour of Her Majesty's Birthday. I may add that the whole question of sessions and holidays is now under consideration with reference to the new arrangements to be made under the Judicature Act of last year.