HC Deb 16 March 1876 vol 228 cc70-1
DR. WARD

asked Mr. Solicitor General for Ireland, Whether Judge Flanagan, who was for a considerable time sole judge of the Landed Estates Court, Ireland, stated to the Government that he was willing to continue to discharge the whole duty of the Court, and that there was no necessity for the appointment of a second judge?

MR. CALLAN

asked Mr. Solicitor General for Ireland, Whether representations were addressed to Her Majesty's Government by persons interested in the sale and purchase of land in Ireland, as well as by the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland, to the effect that any attempt to limit the working of the Landed Estates Court, Ireland, would be attended with disastrous results to the public; and, whether, if effect had been given to Judge Flanagan's recommendations, judicial duties now imposed on the judges of that Court would not necessarily have been transferred to any non-judicial and inferior official?

THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. PLUNKET)

In answer to the hon. Member for Galway (Dr. Ward), I beg to refer him to a Return of Correspondence relating to the Landed Estates Court, Ireland, ordered by this House to be printed on the 12th of June, 1873, from which it appears that in the month of January, 1873, Judge Flanagan wrote to the Government of the day that— There was not, in his opinion, any necessity for the appointment of a second Judge in the Landed Estates Court, and that the non-appointment of a second Judge would not in any way interfere with the due despatch of the business of the Court, but that unless sufficient provision were made for the efficient discharge of the Ministerial business, great (possibly undue) labour would be cast upon him. In answer to the hon. and learned Member for Dundalk (Mr. Callan), I have to say that it appears from the Return to which I have already referred that in January, 1873, a resolution was adopted by the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland to the effect "that any attempt to limit the working of the Landed Estates Courts to one Judge would be attended with disastrous results to the public," and that this resolution was forwarded to the then Irish Government. Similar representations have from time to time been addressed by the same learned body to the present Government, and also by the Law Society of Cork. It is also true that the necessity of appointing a second Judge to the Landed Estates Court has been urged upon the Government in this House and out of it by persons interested in the sale and purchase of land in Ireland. As to the second part of the Question, I do not think it would be convenient at present to enter upon a discussion as to what rearrangement of judicial work in the Landed Estates Court would have been necessary if effect had been given to the recommendation of the learned Judge. In answer to the last part of the hon. and learned Member's Question, I have to state that I am not aware that any application was made by Judge Flanagan for an increase of his salary.