Lords Sitting of 6 May 1897

QUARTER SESSIONS JURORS (IRELAND) BILL.
THE EARL OF DENBIGHin moving the Second Reading of this Bill, said that the object of the Bill was to relieve jurors summoned to try criminal cases from attending the Courts of Quarter Sessions in Ireland when there was no criminal business for them to transact. The Bill had been passed through the House of Commons unopposed and without Amendment. It had been introduced by Her Majesty's Government in response to many representations of the great inconvenience frequently caused to jurors. Obviously to many quarter sessions divisions of Ireland the Bill would be in no way applicable, because there was invariably criminal business to be done in the large towns. It was provided, therefore, that the Lord Lieutenant might specify the different divisions to which the Bill should apply. In those divisions notice of a Bill of Indictment to be presented must be given to the Clerk of the Peace at least three days before the Sessions, and in the absence of any such notice the Sheriff would notify the jurors that they were exempted from attendance. It was also provided that the Chairman of Quarter Sessions might adjourn the trial of any person in respect of whose indictment notice has not been lodged to the next Quarter Sessions or Assizes. Possibly one or two Amendments might be found desirable, but he anticipated no difficulty.
THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord HALSBURY)asked whether the Lord Chancellor of Ireland had been communicated with in connection with the Bill, which effected a serious change? The fact that the Bill was not discussed in the other House hardly recommended its acceptance unquestioningly.
THE EARL OF DENBIGHsaid that the Bill was promoted by the Irish Office. Last year the Bill was introduced as a private Measure, but certain objections were raised, and now the Bill had been
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taken up by the Government and its provisions had been modified to meet the objections. He believed that the Lord Chancellor of Ireland had had the Bill before him and had approved of it.
Read 2a (according to Order), and committed to a Committee of the whole House on Tuesday next.
House Adjourned at Twenty Minutes before Five o'Clock, till To-morrow, a Quarter past Ten o'Clock.