I move:—
In Section 1, sub-section (4), to delete in line 29 the words "11th day of June, 1924," and to substitute therefor the words "21st day of January, 1919."
The object of the amendment is to bring in cases that have been decided by the courts previous to the 11th June, 1924. I know at least of one case that was decided before that date, where all the justice was on the side of the person against whom the judgment was given, but the judge was afraid to give that decision as he was working at the time under the British law. I do not know what attitude the Minister may take on the matter, but it would be very desirable that this amendment would be carried, or, at least, such a date fixed that it would be considerably prior to the 11th June, 1924. It does not look just that a judgment given, say, on the 12th June, 1924, would be made null and void, whereas a judgment given before that would be allowed to stand. Compensation is provided by a subsequent clause in the Bill, and this clause would not take effect unless the Minister certified that the proceedings in respect of which it took place were proceedings governed by sub-clauses (a) and (b) of Section 1 of the Bill, that is, that the matter was done by a person holding office under the first Dáil Eireann or the second Dáil Eireann or employed in any capacity whatever in any service, military or civil, established or maintained by the authority of the first Dáil Eireann or the second Dáil Eireann, or was done under the authority of any person so holding office or so employed. That will not come into effect unless the Minister certifies whether the matter was done to carry out those objects or not. I hope the date will be amended, putting it back to the 21st January, 1919, which is the date in the Bill of the period to be covered.