This is a Bill which does not appear in the Orders of the Day, but I would ask the leave of the Dáil to introduce it. The Bill is entitled Criminal Justice (Evidence) Bill, 1924. It is a Bill to amend the law of evidence in criminal cases. This is a Bill which the Attorney-General had prepared and worked on. I really know very little about its contents myself. But I would ask the Deputies to give it its First Reading and enable it to be introduced and discussed next week.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE (EVIDENCE) BILL, 1924.
In view of the fact that the Attorney-General is resigning his seat in the Dáil, I would like to ask are these Bills urgent? I do think it is extremely desirable that we should have some professional guidance on a matter which is obviously a technical subject, and on which, as far as I know, Deputy Duggan is the only Minister with legal knowledge.
That is not so.
Well, I beg pardon of the Minister for Industry and Commerce, and the Local Government Minister, too, but I think they are not in very constant practice at the Bar, and I do feel that unless there is absolute urgency which could be proved and stated by the Government we ought not to proceed with these technical Bills just now. I do not know whether the Attorney-General has resigned his office of Attorney-General as well as his membership of the Dáil, and whether it is the intention of the Government to bring in or appoint another Attorney-General who may or may not seek election to the Dáil. but I think, before proceeding with this Bill, that we ought to have some statement with regard to the position.
The Deputy should not conclude because this Bill was not prepared in my department but was prepared in the department of the Attorney-General, that I would not be prepared at a later stage to meet all the technical points which he or other Deputies might wish to raise. Naturally we will take immediate steps to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the Attorney-General. I do not anticipate that either of these Bills is of a nature that will call for the presence of the Attorney-General in the Dáil. They are simply rather urgent administrative measures and they will not raise any very technical difficulties. We would be particularly anxious to get them through this session. The Deputy may take it that with the crowded programme we have before us and with the number of other important measures that will have to be jettisoned if we are to have an adjournment in July these Bills are not lightly introduced.
When the Minister has promised that the vacancy created by the resignation of the Attorney-General will be filled immediately does he mean that he will move for the writ to be issued at once?
That does not arise at all. It is a different question altogether.
I agree that that matter does not arise.
Deputy Johnson will have another opportunity of asking that question.
Leave granted. Second Stage ordered for Thursday, June 12th.