SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE (IRELAND) (No. 2) BILL [H.L.] (Hansard, 25 May 1905)

*THE LORD CHANCELLOR OF IRELAND (Lord ASHBOURNE)

My Lords, this Bill proposes various reforms in legal administration in Ireland, which are considered by those most concerned as likely to be useful and advantageous and to greatly simplify matters. The first provision in the Bill is one to enable the hearing and dispatch at any winter assizes of any civil business other than traverses. It was found that owing to the construction of some of the statutes it was necessary that the transaction of civil business at winter assizes should be authorised in this way by Parliament. The next provision is to regulate future appointments in the Principal Registry of the Probate and Matrimonial Branch of the King's Bench Division, and to provide that junior clerkships, like those in other divisions, shall be filled by open competition. There is also a provision with regard to the extension of powers to make rules of Court which places this matter on a satisfactory basis. Provision, too, is made for appointments in the Registration of Tithe Officer. There is also an 1354 attempt—a successful one, I believe it will be—to remedy in this Bill a mistake that was made in the Statute Law Revision Act, 1893. No matter how carefully that work is done sometimes a slip may be made, and in the particular matter dealt with in this Bill an error was committed, and we seek in this Bill to set that matter right. There is also a proposal to remove a grievance in the matter of the constitution of local election Courts. It has been found that the selection of the barrister who was to try the matter was hampered owing to the technicalities surrounding the appointment, and that matter is sought to be put right in this Bill. I hope your Lordships will see no difficulty in granting the Bill a Second Reading.