§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that in Ireland magistrates at petty sessions can inflict sentences of imprisonment for a period not exceeding one month, with or without hard labour, whereas in England there is a power of appeal from every sentence of magistrates whatever the term of imprisonment may be; whether his attention has been directed to comments from the judicial bench on refusals in recent cases by magistrates to increase sentences in order to enable their decisions to be tested by appeals; and
†, See (4) Debates, cxxix., 595 and 1030, cxxxii, 982.1478 whether he will take steps to assimilate the law in Ireland to the law in England by initiating legislation enabling an appeal to be taken in all cases from magisterial decisions in Ireland.(Answered by Mr Wyndham.) The question of assimilating the law in this respect in the two countries will be considered when a suitable opportunity presents itself.