HC Deb 15 April 1948 vol 449 cc1294-5
Mr. Ede

I beg to move, in page 76, line 6, at the end, to insert:

The Stipendiary Magistrates Act, 1858, 21 & 22 Vict., c. 73. In Section nine, for the words "appoint two or more justices one of whom shall be of the quorum, to form a second court," there shall be substituted the words "form one or more additional courts, and appoint to each court two or more justices"; and for the word "second," in the second place where it occurs, there shall be substituted the word "additional."
In Section ten, for the words "a second," there shall be substituted the words "an additional."
In Section eleven, for the words "a second," there shall be substituted the words "an additional," for the word "second," in the second place where it occurs, there shall be substituted the word "additional," and for the words "an additional crier," there shall be substituted the words "a crier for each such additional court."

This Amendment has been suggested to us by a former Member of the House of Commons, His Honour Judge Tudor Rees, who, over 20 years ago, represented Barnstaple in two Parliaments and who is at present Chairman of the Surrey Quarter Sessions. In his experience—and I understand this is shared by the chairmen of other quarter sessions—the pressure of business is now so heavy that every quarter sessions have to sit in more than two courts at the same time. The Stipendiary Magistrates Act of 1858 gives authority for quarter sessions to appoint two or more justices to form a second court, but not to form more than two courts. The first of these Amendments gives the necessary power to enable this to be done.

The Act of 1858 also gives power for the Clerk of the Peace or his deputy to

The Local Government Act, 1888, 51 & 52 Vict., c. 41. In Section eighty-three, in Subsection (4), for the words "a second court," there shall be substituted the words "any additional court."

This Amendment and the two which follow, affecting pages 80 and 83, are consequential on the Amendment which has just been dealt with.

Amendment agreed to.

Consequential Amendments made.

Schedule, as amended, agreed to.

Bill reported, with Amendments; as amended (on recommittal), considered.

To be read the Third time Tomorrow.