§ MR. MAINS (Donegal, N.)In the absence of the hon. Member for South Down, I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is any condition imposed upon County Magistrates in England that they are only to attend certain specified Petty Sessions, or whether they have the right to attend any Petty Sessions held within the county in respect of which they hold the Commission of the Peace?
MR. ASQUTTHSpeaking generally, a County Magistrate has, by the Commission, jurisdiction throughout the county; but, as a matter of ordinary practice, only the Justices who reside in a Petty Sessional Division sit in Petty Sessions in that division. There is nothing, however, to prevent Justices from other Divisions sitting with them, and this sometimes happens; in some cases, also, a Magistrate habitually attends two Petty Sessions.