APPELLATE JURISDICTION BILL [H.L.] (Hansard, 18 December 1908)

§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR

The House of Commons have sent up certain Amendments to this Bill, which I think are very desirable. First, they have inserted after Clause 2, the following new clause— (1) Section 1 of the Judicial Committee Amendment Act, 1895, shall have effect as if the persons therein included any person being or having been Chief Justice or a Justice of the High Court of Australia or Chief Justice or Judge of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland. (2) The schedule to the Judicial Committee Amendment Act, 1895, shall be read as if the Transvaal and the Orange River Colony were included therein as South African Colonies. 2195 After Clause 3, the Commons propose the insertion of the following new clause— His Majesty may from time to time by Order in Council make a general Order directing that all appeals shall be referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council until the Order is rescinded, and Section 9 of the Judicial Committee Act, 1844, shall have effect as if any such general Order for the time being in force were substituted in the first proviso to that section for the annual Order therein referred to, and the time for which the Order remains in force were substituted for the twelve months next after the making of the general Order. The expression 'appeals' in this section means appeals on petitions presented to His Majesty in Council, and includes any complaints in the nature of appeals and any petitions in the matter of appeals. The other two Amendments are of a purely verbal character. I move that your Lordships agree.