DR. RUTHERFORD (Middlesex, Brentford)To ask the Secretary of State for India, if it is intended to appoint a sixth puisne judge to His Majesty's High Court at Madras; and whether, in view of the fact that the requirements of the statute have been complied with as regards the number of English barrister judges and judges drawn from the ranks of the Indian Civil 17 Service, and seeing also that only one Indian is a member of the court as at at present constituted, the claims of Indian lawyers will be considered when the appointment is made.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Morley.) The appointment of a sixth puisne judge to the Madras High Court has been sanctioned. The statute requires not less than one-third of the judges to be barristers and not less than one-third to be members of the Civil Service. When the number of judges was six, it was necessary to appoint not less than two barristers and two civilians. Now that the number has been increased to seven the requirements of the Law can only be fulfilled by the appointment of three barristers and three civilians. An Indian lawyer has been appointed Advocate General.