§ 2.26 p.m.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (LORD DILHORNE)My Lords, I do not think I need say much to your Lordships about the first Motion that stands in my name on the Order Paper. It is the usual Motion which is moved at the beginning of each new Session, and it has two objects. The first is to enable judicial appeals to your Lordships' House to be heard by an Appellate Committee. The second object is to enable the Appellate Committee to sit in two Divisions simultaneously and thus make expeditious progress with the judicial business in this House whenever the lists in the Judicial Committee happen to be light and noble Lords can be spared from sitting in that Committee.
Moved, That this House, in discharge of its constitutional duty to act as the ultimate tribunal in appeals from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, orders that two Committees, each of which shall include all Lords qualified under Section 5 of the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876, as amended by any 30 subsequent enactment, be appointed to hear, during the present Session, such appeals as may be referred to them in order to secure the due expedition of public and judicial business; and that the Committees have leave to report to the House from time to time.—(The Lord Chancellor).
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.