§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Longford, N.)asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland a Question regarding the relative positions of the English and Irish Lord Chancellors. He wished to know whether the English Lord Chancellor ever sat in the Court of Appeal? At present the Irish Lord Chancellor, who was an active politician and a Member of the 902 Cabinet, sat in the Irish Court of Appeal and had recently given a judgment with reference to a political question.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. HOLMES) (Dublin University)said, Irish Lord Chancellors had always sat in the Court of Appeal, and continued to do so. In England, until a comparatively recent time, the Lord Chancellor was in the habit of hearing appeals, sometimes sitting with the Lords Justices, and sometimes alone. The reason he did not do so now was that the duty of presiding in the Appellate Court of the House of Lords was sufficient to occupy his time. He was not aware that there was any difference regarding the judicial duties of the two Lord Chancellors.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYinquired, whether there was any instance of any previous Lord Chancellor of Ireland sitting in the Court of Appeal, when, at the same time, he was a Member of the Cabinet and an active politician?
§ MR. HOLMESsaid, he was not aware that there was any instance, at all events in recent times, of an Irish Lord Chancellor being a Member of the Cabinet; but he presumed the Lord Chancellor, being always a Member of the Government, was also a politician.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYgave Notice that on the Motion for the adjournment, he would call attention to the position of Lord Ashbourne, and contrast it with the position of Lord Halsbury and other previous Irish Lord Chancellors.