I ask leave to introduce a Bill "to make further provision for the Constitution of the Central Criminal Court and to extend the jurisdiction thereof and to transfer to that Court the jurisdiction of the Court of the High Court Circuit and to make better provision for the trial of accused persons including accused persons now awaiting trial." Under the existing Act passed last year it was contemplated that judges of the High Court should go out through the country on circuit, as the circumstances from time to time require, to deal with the trial of crimes that are outside the criminal jurisdiction of the Circuit Courts. Only three classes of criminal offences are outside the jurisdiction of the Circuit Judge: treason, murder, and attempted murder. On consideration, and having had the advantage of consultation with the judges who acted on the Rule-Making Committee, I have come to the conclusion that it is not necessary to constitute this Court of the High Court Circuit; that it can be abolished with advantage; that it would be likely to prove expensive in practice, and that the transfer of cases returned for trial to the Court of the High Court Circuit to the Central Criminal Court will impose no undue burden on that Court and can be adequately dealt with there. We can discuss the Bill more fully at a later stage. I ask the leave of the Dáil to have it printed and circulated.
Leave given to introduce Bill; Second Stage ordered for Tuesday, November 17th.