HC Deb 11 November 1902 vol 114 cc596-7
THE MARQUESS OF HAMILTON (Londonderry)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, having regard to the public inconvenience and expense caused by holding the Winter Assizes for the northwest counties in Belfast, arrangements can be made for holding a separate Winter Assize for the north-west counties in Londonderry or some other suitable town in the North-West Circuit.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. ATKINSON, Londonderry, N.)

At, the request of my right hon. friend I will reply to this Question. The existing arrangements, under which Winter Assizes are each year held in one town in each of the four provinces of Ireland has, on the whole, worked well and given general satisfaction. Any public inconvenience or expense resulting from it would, I apprehend, be increased rather than diminished by splitting up the several provinces into two or more Winter Assize Counties, while the interests of the administration of justice would undoubtedly suffer. The number of prisoners from the north-west counties of Ulster tried at the last Winter Assizes at Belfast was sixteen, which was about the average—a number scarcely sufficient to require a separate Winter Assizes to deal with. I would also point out to my noble friend that as Derry city is the only county borough in those northwest counties, unless the Winter Assizes were held there permanently, a most objectionable course in such a circumscribed venue, it would be necessary at intervals much more frequent than at present, to inflict on the jurors of the north-west counties at large the great inconvenience of assembling in midwinter in some of the county towns to dispose of the business. As the convenience of jurors is, next to the administration of justice, the most important matter to be considered, I don't think any change should be made until the general body of the jurors of the north-west counties have had an opportunity of considering it.

THE MARQUESS OF HAMILTON

Have you consulted the High Court judges on this matter?

MR. ATKINSON

I do not think it is a matter for them. It is rather one for the Executive.