§ 52. Mr. W. BAKERasked the Attorney-General whether he is aware that, owing to the winter assizes, 11 of the Common Law Judges will be away from the Law Courts for varying periods; whether he is aware that some of the Judges are on the sick list and that the lists show an increase in the number of appeals and causes set down as compared with the last Hilary sittings; and what steps will be taken to minimise delay in hearing the causes which have been set down?
§ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (Sir Douglas Hogg)The number of King's Bench Judges on Circuit during the present Sittings has not at any time exceeded 10. I see no reason to anticipate that this number will be exceeded during the Sittings. One Judge of that Division has been on the sick list, but has returned to work. The number of causes set down in the King s Bench Division at the beginning of the Sittings shows a decrease of 70 as compared with last Hilary Sittings, and the number of cases heard in that Division since the beginning of the Sittings is greater than that heard in the similar period last year. I see no reason to anticipate any delay in hearing the cases which have been set down.