§ Considered in Committee.
§ [Sir E. CORNWALL in the Chair.]
§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That it is expedient to make further provisions out of the Consolidated Fund, and out of moneys provided by Parliament, with respect to the Retirement and Pensions of County Court Judges and the employment of Deputy Judges under any Act of the present Session relating thereto."—[Sir G. Hewart.]
§ Sir D. MACLEANPerhaps my right hon. and learned Friend will favour us with a short explanation?
§ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (Sir G. Hewart)I shall be happy to do so, as I think my right hon. Friend was not present when the matter was fully explained before. The Bill proposes a new scheme of pensions for County Court judges according to the number of years which they have served.
§ Sir D. MACLEANIt may save the time of my right hon. Friend and that of the Committee if he will just explain the paragraph in which it is stated that there will not be any net increase in cost.
§ Sir G. HEWARTAs matters now stand, under the Act of 1888, the Treasury, upon the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor pay certain pensions to County Court judges who retire under that Act. It is now contemplated that County Court judges may retire otherwise than under those provisions, and if they do they may receive a pension according to the scale which is set out in the Schedule to the Bill. It is calculated that under the new scheme no further money will be required than that which is already expended under the existing provisions on that account. I may add a reference to a matter raised not by my right hon. Friend, but by my hon. Friend who is not now present, with regard to the payment of deputies. He suggested in the 468 course of the Second Reading Debate that there might be a difficulty because as he suspected some County Court judges might be tempted under the new arrangement, whereby the payment of a deputy comes not from the pocket of the County Court judge but from the Treasury, to prolong his absence unduly. I never thought that that would be likely to occur, but if my hon. Friend refers to Section 18 of the Act of 1888, it is there made clear that without the expressed consent of the Lord Chancellor a County Court judge may not be absent for a period exceeding fourteen days.
§ Sir D. MACLEANI thank my right hon. Friend and hope that the Committee and the public will take note that it is possible to effect a legal reform without an additional charge to the taxpayer.
§ Resolution to be reported To-morrow.