§ MR. REDDY (King's County, Birr)I beg to ask Mr. Attorney-General for Ireland whether he is aware that at the Birr Petty Sessions, on the 6th February last, a road contractor named Young applied for an order to enter a quarry pit on the lands of a Mr. Fiend, and that the Bench upon the occasion was composed of Mr. Shannon, R.M., and three relatives of Mr. Frend, including his brother, who overruled the opinion of the resident magistrate and refused the order; and, if so whether he will take steps to prevent magistrates adjudicating in cases in which their near relatives are litigants.
§ THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. ATKINSON, Londonderry, N.)If any justice taking part in a decision is disqualified by interest the law is open to the party aggrieved, who can have the decision quashed. Mere relationship is not generally regarded as such an interest. In any case I have no power in the matter.