§ Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.
§ Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(The Lord Chancellor.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House in Committee accordingly.
§ [The EARL Of DONOUGHMORE in the Chair.]
§ Clause 1:
§ Alteration, of method of preparing jurors book.
§ (4) If any person who is marked as a juror or as a special juror in any of the electors lists 834 for the autumn register claims that by reason of some disqualification or exemption he ought not to be so marked, he may at any time within fourteen days next after the publication of the lists apply in the prescribed manner to the registration officer to have the mark placed against his name removed.
§ The registration officer shall, as soon as may be, take every such application into consideration and shall in the prescribed manner notify to the applicant his decision thereon.
§ (5) If the registration officer refuses to comply with an application made under the last preceding subsection or fails to notify to the applicant within the prescribed time his decision thereon, the applicant may within fourteen days next after the date on which the refusal of the registration officer is notified to him or the expiration of the prescribed time, as the case may be, apply to a court of summary jurisdiction for a declaration that he ought not to be marked as a juror or as a special juror, as the case may be.
§ Rules may be made by the Lord Chancellor for regulating the manner in which applications are to be made under this subsection and for requiring the decision of the court on any such application to be notified to the sheriff of the county and for authorising the sheriff to make the necessary correction in the jurors book.
§ LORD PARMOOR moved, in subsection (4), to leave out "fourteen days next after the publication of the lists" and to insert "the period within which a claim to be registered as an elector may be made." The noble Lord said: The object of my Amendment is to increase the period of fourteen days mentioned in subsection (1), because I do not think that is a sufficient time in which to allow people to point out that they are improperly marked for jury service. I suggest a longer period, and I am glad to say that the Lord Chancellor, who communicated, I think, with the Home Office, the Department chiefly concerned in this matter, is willing to accept my Amendment in the terms in which I propose it. The period mentioned is, as a matter of fact, twenty-five days, and it is convenient that you should, have the same period in both cases.
§
Amendment moved—
Clause 1, page 2, lines 21 and 22, leave out "fourteen days next after the publication of the lists") and insert ("the period within which a claim to be registered as an elector may be made").—(Lord Parmoor.)
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§
LORD PARMOOR moved, after subsection (5), to insert the following new subsection—
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(6) Where the claim of any person not to be marked as a juror or as a special juror in any-electors lists has been allowed by the registration officer or a court of summary jurisdiction, the registration officer shall, if he proposes to mark that person as a juror or as a special juror in any subsequent electors lists, give to him notice of his intention, so to do nut less than fourteen days before the publication of the electors lists.
The noble Lord said: The object of this Amendment is that where a person has once been allowed the right to escape jury service he should not again be starred without due notice having been sent to him that he is going to be starred as a juror on the electors list. I think it is right that, once a man has established his claim to escape service, he should not again be put on the list 'without notice. Again, I have consulted the Lord Chancellor, who has consulted the Home Office, and is, I believe, ready to accept this Amendment.
§
Amendment moved—
Clause 1, page 2, line 43, at end insert the said new subsection.—(Lord Parmoor.)
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ Clause 1, as amended, agreed to.
§ Clauses 2, 3 and 4 agreed to.
§ Clause 5 (Abolition of present practice of striking special juries, anti provision as to description of jurors in panel, etc.):
§ LORD PHILLIMOREMy Lords, I understand after communicating with the Lord Chancellor, that the noble and learned Viscount will be prepared to consider on Report a point which I raised with regard to this clause. If that is so I shall be satisfied.
THE LORD CHANCELLORThe noble and learned Lord has raised a point which deserves consideration, and between now and Report I will place myself in communication with him.
§ Clause 5 agreed to.
§ Remaining clauses agreed to.