HC Deb 11 July 1906 vol 160 cc882-3
MR. CHARLES DEVLIN

I beg to ask Mr. Attorney-General for Ireland whether he is aware that at the Galway quarter sessions an appeal on the part of Peter Duggan from the decision of magistrates sitting at petty sessions was disallowed on the ground of the failure of his counsel to appear at the Tuam quarter sessions, which were held first; that the decision in question imposed costs upon the appellant; that, as the divisions of the county for court purposes now stand, people from near Loughrea have to go to Tuam; whether he can say if representations to have the divisions altered have been made to the Government by the Recorder and the Bar of Galway; and will he say what steps the Government propose taking to remedy the grievance complained of.

THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. CHERRY,) Liverpool, Exchange

I am informed by the Recorder of Galway that the appeal referred to was disallowed on the ground that it should have been brought at Tuam quarter sessions, which were the first sessions in the division. No costs were given by the court of quarter sessions at Galway against the appellant. The Recorder states that it is not the case that people near Loughrea have to go to Tuam quarter sessions; Tuam and Loughrea are in different divisions of the county. The Recorder is of opinion that the present divisions are somewhat inconvenient and might be altered with advantage to the public. No representations on the subject have been made for some years past; but in 1900 the Recorder, acting on representations made by the solicitors of the county, proposed changes in the existing divisions of the county. Effect, however. could not be given to these proposals because they involved the subdivision of parishes, which the law officers advised could not be legally carried out. The Lord-Lieutenant in Council has power to make changes in quarter sessions' divisions, and any memorial on the subject will be sure to receive due consideration.