HC Deb 24 April 1890 vol 343 cc1261-2
MR. MAURICE HEALY

I beg to ask the Attorney General for Ireland who is responsible for the drafting and issuing of the new Irish County Court Rules recently promulgated; whether it is the case that the new Rules are for the most part an exact reproduction of the existing Rules, with such alterations as recent legislation rendered necessary, and without any effort to amend or improve them; whether before issuing the new Rules they were submitted to any of the officials of the various County Courts concerned, or any attempt was made to obtain suggestions, with a view to improving the procedure of the Courts; and whether it is the fact that the Rules as issued are not complete, and do not contain the Rules as to equity?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. MADDEN,) University of Dublin

The Lord Chancellor's Secretary informs me that the new Irish County Court Rules in question were prepared and issued by and under the directions of the Lord Chancellor and the Council of County Court Judges, acting under the provisions of the County Officers and Courts (Ireland) Act, 1877. They represent a consolidation and amendment of all Rules issued from time to time by the Lord Chancellor and Council of County Court Judges under that Act, all of which Rules were very carefully revised and amended. The Rules were, before being-issued, submitted to all the County Court Judges, who had every opportunity, which was no doubt taken advantage of, of consulting with their officials, and several valuable suggestions were thus obtained and adopted in the consolidation and amendment of the Rules. I assume that the concluding paragraph of the question relates to the Rules as to equity appeals. I am informed that those Rules, so far as they are made by the Lord Chancellor and Council of Counts-Court Judges, are embodied in the Rules in question.

MR. M. HEALY

What are the Rules which are not embodied?

MR. MADDEN

There are certain Rules under' the County Court Trustees Act which are not embodied. All the formal Rules made by the Lord Chancellor and the County Court Judges are embodied.