§ 3.20 p.m.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (LORD GARDINER)My Lords, in moving the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper, I can explain to your Lordships quite shortly the reasons for the proposed Amendments to the Judicial Standing Orders of your Lordships' House. The first two Amendments arise out of the coming into force on the 14th of last month of Section 1 of the Northern Ireland Act 1962. The effect of that section is to allow appeals from the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland only by leave of the Court of Appeal of Northern Ireland or of your Lordships' House. The proposed Amendments to Judicial Standing Orders Nos. II and III provide that Petitions for leave to appeal to your Lordships' House from the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland should be lodged within one month of the order of that Court. They place Petitions for leave and appeals from the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland on the same footing as those from the Court of Appeal in England.
The third Amendment on the Order Paper, that to Standing Order VIIIA, is really a drafting Amendment occasioned by the coming into force on November 1 last of the Legal Aid and Advice Act (Northern Ireland) 1965. It is a drafting Amendment to remove the words "Area Committee" from that Standing Order because there are no Legal Aid Area Committees in Northern Ireland. My Lords, I beg to move.
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Moved, That the following, Amendments be made to the Standing Orders regulating Judicial Business:—
Standing Order II
line 2, after (" 1934 ") insert (" or the Northern Ireland Act 1962,")
Standing Order III
line 3, after (" 1934 ") insert (" or the Northern Ireland Act 1962,")
Standing Order VIIIA
line 2, leave out (" an Area Committee for Legal Aid ") and insert (" a Legal Aid Committee ").—(The Lord Chancellor.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.