§ 5.34 p.m.
§ The SOLICITOR-GENERALI beg to move, in page 124, line 27, at the end, to insert:
Provided that a person shall not, unless he is, or when first appointed to judicial Office was, a barrister, a member of the Faculty of Advocates or a pleader, be 995 qualified for appointment as Chief Justice of any High Court constituted by letters patent until he has served for not less than three years as a judge of a High Court.?The House may remember that in Committee there was some discussion as to the qualification for High Court judges, and, in particular, as to whether what were called civil service judges should be eligible or ineligible for the Office of the Chief Justice. My right hon. Friend, while not ruling them out completely, having regard to the fact that they per form judicial work and have a limited jurisdiction as judges, undertook to put down an Amendment to make it clear that a civil service judge would have to have sat for three years as a judge of the High Court before he was qualified for the Office of Chief Justice. This proviso effects that, and deals also with barristers and pleaders. It is necessary to refer to them in order to deal with the position of the civil service judges.
§ Amendment agreed to.