§ MR. LOUGH (Islington, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to take any steps to give effect to the publicly-expressed opinions of the Lord Chief Justice of England and of the Incorporated Law Society that additional judges should be appointed, or would they be prepared to consent to the appointment of a Committee to consider the present state of legal business?
§ SIR H. FOWLER (Wolverhampton, E.)I should like to ask the right honourable Gentleman whether his attention has been called to a statement which has appeared in the newspapers that Mr. Justice Darling, one of the Judges of the High Court, has been to the town of Merioneth to hold an assize, the only prisoner being one charged with attempting to steal a penny, and acquitted, and, in view of this loss of three days of judicial time, whether Her Majesty's Government, before considering the question of increasing the number of Judges, will consider whether a redistribution of judicial power and judicial time will not be more effective?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTIf it should be found that arrears in the Supreme Court tend permanently to 291 increase, and cannot be reduced by more elastic arrangements for facilitating the dispatch of business, the Government would be prepared to consider an increase to the number of judges; but we are not satisfied that these conditions exist at present.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)Will the right honourable Gentleman in the meantime ask for the loan of a few Irish Judges?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTNo, Sir, the Government do not propose to do that.