FOURTH CLERK AT THE TABLE (JUDICIAL) (Hansard, 5 August 1965)

§ The LORD CHANCELLOR (LORD GARDINER)
My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. By Statute, the appointment of Clerks at the Table is vested in the Lord Chancellor, subject to the approval of your Lordships' House, and the reasons why I propose to appoint Mr. Cave as Fourth Clerk at the Table (Judicial), subject to the approval of your Lordships, are these. Mr. Cave is the head of the Judicial Office and as such supervises the arrangements for the appellate jurisdiction of this House. He has detailed knowledge of every appeal to your Lordships' House and it is fitting, therefore, that he should be able to officiate at the Judicial Sittings of the House. Those Sittings will take place in the Chamber either when judgment is being given in the mornings or during Recesses—for example, from now until October 26—when your Lordships' House are not sitting in a legislative capacity.
When Judicial Sittings are held in the Chamber there has to be a Clerk at the Table. At present he is one of the three Clerks at the Table, although of course they have no knowledge of judicial business, while Mr. Cave, who has, has to remain behind the Bar. It would therefore, subject to your Lordships' approval, seem more sensible that Mr. Cave should be appointed Fourth Clerk at the Table so that he could assist the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary on those occasions. The appointment would be personal to Mr. Cave and is not regarded as a precedent. It would carry no prescriptive right of succession to any of the other posts at the Table, and it does not involve any increase in Mr. Cave's remuneration. My Lords, I beg to move.

§ VISCOUNT DILHORNE
My Lords, I am sure that this is a very sensible proposal and will facilitate the discharge of the Business of this House. I should only like to add that from my knowledge of Mr. Cave I think this is an eminently suitable appointment.

LORD REA
My Lords, may I, as a layman, say that we on these Benches, and I think all of your Lordships, agree that this is a most excellent and sensible appointment. I hesitate to seek to correct the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor, but I think he mentioned that it was within the Lord Chancellor's province to appoint the three Clerks at the Table. I have a suspicion, however, that the Clerk of the Parliaments is appointed by the Queen. That is quite by the way, and I think that this suggestion of appointing Mr. Cave is an extremely good one.