The purpose of this Bill, a Chathaoirligh, is to remove certain anomalies which we have found to exist. Section 18 of the Statutory Declarations Act, 1935, authorised that a statutory declaration can be taken and received by a justice of the peace, a notary public, or any other officer by law authorised at the time of the passing of the Act to take such declarations. Section 21 of the same Act provided that a person who makes a false statutory declaration under that Act is guilty of a misdemeanour. Under Section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924, it was provided that Peace Commissioners would have power to take statutory declarations. The Courts of Justice Act, 1924, and the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1933, however, do not contain any provision making it an offence for a person to make a false statutory declaration before a Peace Commission or an officer of the Department of Industry and Commerce, and the object of this Bill is to provide against that anomaly.
Statutory Declarations Bill, 1938—Second and Subsequent Stages.
Question proposed: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
Question put and agreed to.
Agreed that the Committee Stage and Final Stages be taken now.
Bill put through Committee, received for final consideration, and passed.