THE LUNACY ACT.

HC Deb 08 May 1890 vol 344 c458

MR. HOBHOUSE (Somerset, E.)

I beg to ask the Attorney General whether the Justices appointed under "The Lunacy Act, 1889,"have jurisdiction to make orders under" The Lunacy Act, 1890,"or whether it is necessary that they should be reappointed under the later Act?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir R. WEBSTER,) Isle of Wight

The Justices appointed under the Lunacy Act, 1889, have jurisdiction to make orders under the Lunacy Act, 1890; the jurisdiction established under the Act of 1889 was expressly preserved by Section 342 of the Consolidation Act. I understand that some doubts have been raised; and I think it very important that it should be clearly understood that Justices have the same jurisdiction under the existing Act as they had under the previous Statutes.