§ Mr. R. Ethertonasked the Attorney-General whether he can now make his promised statemenf in regard to the steps to be taken to relieve congestion in the business of the courts, particularly in divorce causes.
§ Sir W. Davisonasked the Attorney-General whether the Government have now considered the serious delays in the administration of justice which exist by reason of the insufficiency of High Court judges available for the trial of divorce and other cases; and will he inform the House what are the Government's proposals with regard to the appointment of additional judges at an early date.
§ Sir A. Pownallasked the Attorney-General if he is now in a position to state the intentions of the Government with regard to expediting the hearing of cases in the divorce courts.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe report of the Matrimonial Causes Committee, over which Sir Ralph Wedgwood presided, has now been made to the Lord Chancellor and communicated by him to Parliament. The report is unanimous and my noble Friend is proposing to introduce a Bill under which it will be possible to appoint194W additional High Court Judges who will devote themselves to dealing with the divorce lists. Some of the divorce judges will be available to go circuit, as proposed by the Committee, and my noble Friend proposes, in connection with the passing of the Bill, to alter existing regulations so as to enable contested divorce suits in appropriate cases to be tried and disposed of in the provinces. The serious delays to which my hon. Friend refers arise in present circumstances on the divorce side of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division, and without further anticipating the contents of the proposed Bill, I may express the hope that what His Majesty's Government is about to propose will adequately meet that situation. It is hoped to introduce the Bill in this House very shortly.