Expenditure: Sum transferred to Ireland 1912-1913 5,462,000 Post Office, 1912-1913 1,600,000 Old-age pensions (Treasury Paper) 2,800,000 Land purchase (£761,000 in 1912-1913 increased by £450,000) 1,211,000 Insurance £191,500 in 1912-1913 increased by £300,000 491,500 (Say) 11,564,500-11,600,000
Balance available for Constabulary, collection of Revenue, Imperial contribution and Irish services.
It must be recollected that the Irish Government has to provide for increase of Irish services beyond £5,462,000 by taxation.
VI.—The Judiciary, The Police, And The Maintenance Of Law And Order. BY THOMAS F. MOLONY, K.C., HIS MAJESTY’S SECOND SERJEANT-AT-LAW, CROWN COUNSEL FOR DUBLIN.
The Supreme Court of Judicature in Ireland is at present constituted as follows: The Lord Chancellor, the Lord Chief Justice, the Master of the Rolls, the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, two Lords Justices of Appeal, two Judges of the Chancery Division and six Puisne Judges of the King’s Bench Division. On the occurrence of the next vacancy in the office of Lord Chief Baron the office is to be abolished and a Puisne Judge appointed instead. Since the year 1897, six judgeships have been abolished in Ireland, and a large saving thereby effected. The duties formerly discharged by the Probate and Matrimonial Judge, the Admiralty Judge and the two Bankruptcy Judges have been transferred to the King’s Bench Division and the number of the Puisne Judges of the King’s Bench Division has been reduced by two.(107) With every desire for economy it is believed that the Supreme Court Bench cannot be further reduced without interfering with the efficiency of the public service. The Lord Chancellor of Ireland is appointed by having the Great Seal delivered to him by the Crown, and all the other Judges are appointed by His Majesty by Letters Patent. There are also in Ireland five Recorders and sixteen County Court Judges, who are appointed by the Lord-Lieutenant. The County Court Judges in Ireland are also Chairmen of the Quarter Sessions of their respective counties. No Judge of the Supreme Court or of the County Court can be removed from his office except upon the address of both Houses of Parliament. Under the Home Rule Bill the position of existing judges is to remain unchanged, and future judges are to be appointed by the Irish Executive, and can only be removed by a joint address of both Houses of the Irish Parliament which gives them the same independence that the existing Judges now enjoy. Under the Bill of 1893, the Imperial Executive was to have the appointment of Judges for six years after the passing of the Act, but there seems to be no justification for the suspensory period and it has been wisely dropped from the present measure. The Irish Executive will not be “irresponsible and inexperienced” as Mr. J. H. Campbell says in “Against Home Rule—The Case for the Union” (page 54), but will be composed of men who for many years have served in the Imperial Parliament, and are well qualified from their ability and experience to at once take up the reins of Government.
