First Previous (COURT OFFICERS ACT, 1926) Next (PART II. The Circuit Court.)

27 1926

COURT OFFICERS ACT, 1926

PART I.

The Supreme Court and the High Court.

Offices and principal officers.

3. —(1) There shall be attached to the High Court, the Supreme Court, and the Chief Justice respectively the following offices, that is to say:—

To the High Court,

The Central Office,

The Taxing-Master's Office,

The Probate Office,

The Bankruptcy Office,

The Examiner's Office,

The Accountant's Office;

To the Supreme Court,

The Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court;

To the Chief Justice,

The Office of the Registrar to the Chief Justice.

(2) There shall be attached to the High Court, the Supreme Court, and the Chief Justice respectively the following officers (in this Part of this Act collectively referred to as principal officers), that is to say:—

To the High Court,

A Master who shall be styled the Master of the High Court,

Such number of Taxing-Masters as the Minister shall, with the sanction of the Minister for Finance, from time to time determine,

A Probate Officer,

A Registrar in Bankruptcy,

An Official Assignee in Bankruptcy,

An Examiner,

An Accountant;

To the Supreme Court,

A Registrar;

To the Chief Justice,

A Registrar.

(3) The Master of the High Court and the Taxing-Masters shall be appointed by the Executive Council and every other of the said principal officers shall be appointed by the Minister, and all the said principal officers (including the Master of the High Court and the Taxing-Masters) shall hold office at the pleasure of the Executive Council.

(4) No principal officer nor any officer for the time being nominated to be a registrar of the High Court shall be removed from his office without the concurrence of the Chief Justice and the President of the High Court.

(5) Subject to the persons respectively appointed thereto being in good health at the time of appointment, the offices of the Master of the High Court and of the Taxing-Masters shall be pensionable offices within the Superannuation Acts for the time being in force and there may be granted either to those officers themselves on retirement or to their legal personal representatives on death such superannuation and other allowances or gratuities as might under the Superannuation Acts for the time being in force have been granted had they been appointed to the permanent Civil Service of Saorstát Eireann with certificates from the Civil Service Commissioners.

(6) The Master of the High Court and every Taxing-Master shall retire from office on attaining the age of seventy years, but such age of retirement may, in the case of any Taxing-Master who was immediately before the commencement of this Part of this Act a Taxing-Master attached to the High Court, be extended by the Minister with the concurrence of the Minister for Finance to any age not exceeding seventy-five years.

The Central Office.

4. —(1) The Central Office shall be under the management of the Master of the High Court, and there shall be transacted in that office all such business as is from time to time directed by statute or rule of court to be transacted therein and also all other business of the High Court except such business as is for the time being required by law to be transacted by or before one or more judges or a master and except such business as is for the time being assigned by law to another office of the High Court.

(2) Such and so many as the Minister shall think proper of the officers for the time being serving in the Central Office shall be nominated by the Minister to be registrars of the High Court and every such registrar (in addition to any other duties which may be assigned to him by the Master of the High Court) shall act as registrar to the High Court as and when directed so to do by the Master of the High Court.

The Master of the High Court.

5. —(1) The Master of the High Court shall have the general superintendence and control of such of the offices established by this Part of this Act as are attached to the High Court but shall in the exercise of such superintendence and control be subject to the general direction of the Minister in regard to all matters of general administration and to the directions of the President of the High Court in regard to all matters relating to the conduct of that part of the business of the High Court which is for the time being required by law to be transacted by or before one or more of the Judges of that Court.

(2) In addition to the general superintendence and control aforesaid the Master of the High Court shall also have and exercise such powers and authorities and perform and fulfil such duties and functions as shall be from time to time conferred on or assigned to him by statute or rule of court, and in particular (unless and until otherwise provided by statute or rule of court) shall have and perform all such other powers, authorities, duties and functions as are or become vested in him by virtue of any other provision of this Act.

The Taxing-Master's Office.

6. —The Taxing-Master's Office shall be under the management of the Taxing-Master or, whenever there is more than one Taxing-Master, the senior Taxing-Master, and there shall be transacted in that office the business of the Taxing-Masters other than such business as is required by law to be performed by a Taxing-Master in person.

The Taxing Masters.

7. —The several Taxing-Masters shall have and exercise such powers and authorities and perform and fulfil such duties and functions as shall from time to time be conferred on or assigned to them by statute or rule of court and in particular (unless and until otherwise provided by statute or rule of court) shall have and exercise all such powers and authorities and perform and fulfil all such duties and functions in relation to the High Court, the Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeal, and the Chief Justice as were formerly possessed and performed by the Taxing-Masters of the Supreme Court of Judicature in Ireland in relation to that Court, and shall also have, exercise, perform and fulfil such other powers, authorities, duties and functions as were immediately before the passing of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924 (No. 10 of 1924) vested or imposed by law in or on the Taxing Masters of the Supreme Court of Judicature then existing.

The Probate Office.

8. —The Probate Office shall be under the management of the Probate Officer and there shall be transacted therein all such business as shall from time to time be assigned thereto by statute or rule of court and in particular (unless and until otherwise provided by statute or rule of court) all the business which immediately before the passing of this Act was required by law to be transacted in the Principal Probate Registry and also such other business as has heretofore been transacted in the offices of the Principal Probate Registrar.

The Probate Officer.

9. —The Probate Officer shall have and exercise all such powers and authorities and perform and fulfil such duties and functions as shall from time to time be conferred on or assigned to him by statute or rule of court and in particular (unless and until otherwise provided by statute or rule of court) shall have and exercise all such powers and authorities as immediately before the passing of this Act were vested by law in the Principal Probate Registrar or an Assistant Probate Registrar and shall perform and fulfil such duties and functions as immediately before the passing of this Act were required by law to be or were in fact performed or fulfilled by the Principal Probate Registrar and the Assistant Probate Registrars respectively.

The Bankruptcy Office.

10. —(1) The Bankruptcy Office shall consist of two branches whereof one branch shall be styled the Registrar's Branch and the other shall be styled the Official Assignee's Branch.

(2) The Registrar's Branch of the Bankruptcy Office shall be under the management of the Registrar in Bankruptcy and there shall be transacted therein all such business as shall from time to time be assigned thereto by statute or rule of court and in particular (unless and until otherwise provided by statute or rule of court) all such business as was formerly transacted in the Bankruptcy Office of the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice in Ireland.

(3) The Official Assignee's Branch of the Bankruptcy Office shall be under the management of the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy and there shall be transacted therein all such business as shall from time to time be assigned thereto by statute or rule of court and in particular (unless and until otherwise provided by statute or rule of court) all such business as was formerly transacted in the Office of the Official Assignee of the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice in Ireland.

The Registrar in Bankruptcy.

11. —The Registrar in Bankruptcy shall have and exercise all such powers and authorities and perform and fulfil such duties and functions as shall from time to time be conferred on or assigned to him by statute or rule of court and in particular (unless and until otherwise provided by statute or rule of court) shall have and exercise all such powers and authorities as were formerly vested in the Chief Registrar in Bankruptcy of the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice in Ireland and shall perform and fulfil such duties and functions as were formerly required by law to be or were in fact performed or fulfilled by the said Chief Registrar and the Registrar and Deputy Registrar in Bankruptcy of the said King's Bench Division respectively.

The Official Assignee in Bankruptcy.

12. —The Official Assignee in Bankruptcy shall have and exercise all such powers and authorities and perform and fulfil such duties and functions as shall from time to time be conferred on or assigned to him by statute or rule of court and in particular (unless and until otherwise provided by statute or rule of court) shall have and exercise all such powers and authorities as were formerly vested by law in the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy of the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice in Ireland and shall perform and fulfil such duties and functions as were formerly required by law to be or were in fact performed or fulfilled by the said Official Assignee.

The Examiner's Office.

13. —The Examiner's Office shall be under the management of the Examiner and there shall be transacted in that office all such business as shall from time to time be assigned thereto by statute or rule of court and in particular (unless and until otherwise provided by statute or rule of court) all such business as was formerly transacted in the offices attached to the respective Chambers of the Master of the Rolls and the ordinary judge of the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice in Ireland and also such business as was formerly transacted in the offices attached to the Land Judge of the said Chancery Division including the offices attached to that Judge in his capacity of Receiver Judge.

The Examiner.

14. —The Examiner shall have and exercise all such powers and authorities and perform and fulfil such duties and functions as shall from time to time be conferred on or assigned to him by statute or rule of court and in particular (unless and until otherwise provided by statute or rule of court) shall perform and fulfil such duties and functions as were formerly performed or fulfilled by the several Chief Clerks and Assistant Chief Clerks of the Master of the Rolls and the ordinary judge of the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice in Ireland respectively and by the Chief Receiver or the Receiver-Examiner.

The Accountant's Office.

15. —The Accountant's Office shall be under the management of the Accountant and there shall be transacted in that office all such business as shall from time to time be assigned thereto by statute or rule of court and in particular (unless and until otherwise provided by statute or rule of court) all such business in relation to the High Court, the Supreme Court, and the Chief Justice as was formerly transacted in the Consolidated Accounting Office of the Supreme Court of Judicature in Ireland in relation to that Court and in relation to the Lord Chancellor for Ireland.

The Accountant.

16. —The Accountant (who shall be styled the Accountant of the Courts of Justice) shall have and exercise all such powers and authorities and perform and fulfil such duties and functions as shall from time to time be conferred on or assigned to him by statute or rule of court and in particular (unless and until otherwise provided by statute or rule of court) shall perform and fulfil in relation to the High Court, the Supreme Court, and the Chief Justice all such duties and functions as were formerly performed and fulfilled by the Accountant-General of the Supreme Court of Judicature in Ireland in relation to that Court and in relation to the Lord Chancellor for Ireland.

The Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court.

17. —The Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court shall be under the management of the Registrar of the Supreme Court and there shall be transacted in that office all the business of the Supreme Court (except such business as is for the time being required by law to be transacted by or before one or more of the judges of that Court) and also all the business of the Court of Criminal Appeal (except such business as is for the time being required by law to be transacted by or before one or more of the judges of that Court).

The Registrar of the Supreme Court.

18. —(1) The Registrar of the Supreme Court shall have the superintendence and control of the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court but shall in the exercise of such superintendence and control be subject to the general direction of the Minister in regard to all matters of general administration and to the directions of the Chief Justice in regard to all matters relating to the conduct of that part of the business of the Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeal respectively which is for the time being required by law to be transacted by or before one or more of the judges of those courts respectively.

(2) In addition to the superintendence and control aforesaid the Registrar of the Supreme Court shall act as registrar to that Court and also as Registrar to the Court of Criminal Appeal and shall perform and fulfil in relation to those Courts all such duties and functions as are usually performed and fulfilled by the registrar of a court and shall also have and exercise such powers and authorities and perform and fulfil such duties and functions as shall from time to time be assigned to him by statute or rule of court.

The Office of the Registrar to the Chief Justice.

19. —The Office of the Registrar to the Chief Justice shall be under the management of the Registrar to the Chief Justice and there shall be transacted in that office all such business as shall from time to time be assigned thereto by statute or rule of court and in particular (unless and until otherwise provided by statute or rule of court) all such business in relation to the exercise of the jurisdictions transferred to the Chief Justice by section 10 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924 (No. 10 of 1924), as was formerly transacted in relation to the exercise of those jurisdictions in the Lunacy Office of the Lord Chancellor of Ireland or in the offices attached to the Chambers of the said Lord Chancellor or in any other office attached to the former Supreme Court of Judicature.

The Registrar to the Chief Justice.

20. —(1) The Registrar to the Chief Justice shall have the superintendence and control of the Office of the Registrar to the Chief Justice and shall in the exercise of such superintendence and control be subject to the general direction of the Minister in regard to all matters of general administration and to the directions of the Chief Justice in regard to all matters relating to the exercise of the jurisdictions transferred to the Chief Justice by section 19 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924 (No. 10 of 1924).

(2) In addition to the superintendence and control aforesaid the Registrar to the Chief Justice shall have and exercise all such powers and authorities and perform and fulfil such duties and functions in relation to the exercise of the jurisdictions transferred to the Chief Justice by section 19 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924 (No. 10 of 1924), as shall from time to time be conferred on or assigned to him by statute or rule of court and in particular (unless and until otherwise provided by statute or rule of court) shall have and exercise all such powers and authorities as were formerly vested in the Registrar in Lunacy in Ireland or in the Chief Clerk to the Lord Chancellor for Ireland and shall perform and fulfil all such functions and duties in relation to the exercise of the jurisdictions aforesaid as were formerly performed and fulfilled by the said Registrar in Lunacy and the said Chief Clerk respectively.

Qualification for Master of the High Court.

21. —No person shall be appointed under this Act to be Master of the High Court unless at the time of his appointment he is either—

(a) a barrister of not less than ten years standing who is then actually practising, or

(b) a barrister who has practised for not less than ten years and is at the passing of this Act an officer attached to the Supreme Court, the High Court, or the Chief Justice.

Qualification for Taxing-Master.

22. —No person shall be appointed under this Act to be a Taxing-Master unless either—

(a) he is at the time of his appointment a solicitor of not less than ten years standing who either is then actually practising or has previously practised for not less than ten years, or

(b) he was, immediately before the commencement of this Part of this Act, a Taxing-Master attached to the High Court.

Qualification for Probate Officer.

23. —No person shall be appointed under this Act to be a Probate Officer unless either—

(a) he is at the time of his appointment employed in an office established under this Part of this Act and has during the whole of the twelve years next preceding been employed in an office or offices established under this Part of this Act or attached to the former Supreme Court of Judicature or a Judge thereof or the Lord Chancellor for Ireland or the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, or

(b) he was immediately before the commencement of this Part of this Act a probate registrar or assistant probate registrar attached to the High Court.

Qualification for Examiner.

24. —No person shall be appointed under this Act to be an Examiner unless either—

(a) he is at the time of his appointment employed in an office established under this Part of this Act and has during the whole of the twelve years next preceding been employed in an office or offices established under this Part of this Act or attached to the former Supreme Court of Judicature or a Judge thereof or the Lord Chancellor for Ireland or the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, or

(b) he was immediately before the commencement of Part I . of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924 (No. 10 of 1924) a chief clerk or assistant chief clerk in the Chambers of a Judge of the Chancery Division of the then existing High Court of Justice.

Qualification for Registrar to the Chief Justice.

25. —No person shall be appointed under this Act to be Registrar to the Chief Justice unless at the time of his appointment he either—

(a) is a barrister of not less than ten years' standing who is then actually practising, or

(b) is a barrister who is then employed in an office established under this Part of this Act and has during the next preceding twelve years been employed in one or more of such offices or of the offices formerly attached to the High Court, the Supreme Court, the former Supreme Court of Judicature, the Chief Justice, the Lord Chancellor for Ireland or the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland or any of them, or

(c) immediately before the commencement of this Part of this Act holds the office of Registrar or of Assistant Registrar in Lunacy or the office of Chief Clerk to the Chief Justice.

General staffs of offices.

26. —(1) In addition to the principal officers there shall be employed in the several offices established by this Part of this Act such and so many officers, clerks, messengers, criers, and servants as the Minister shall from time to time determine with the sanction of the Minister for Finance and after consultation with the President of the High Court in the case of an office attached to that court and with the Chief Justice in the case of an office attached to the Supreme Court or the Chief Justice.

(2) All officers (other than the principal officers), clerks, messengers, criers, and servants employed in any of the offices established by this Part of this Act shall be interchangeable amongst such offices and shall be liable to serve in any of those offices as the Minister shall from time to time direct after consultation with the President of the High Court in relation to an office attached to that court and with the Chief Justice in relation to an office attached to the Supreme Court or to the Chief Justice.

Appointment of temporary deputies for Master and Taxing-Masters.

27. —(1) In the event of the temporary absence or the temporary incapacity through illness of the Master of the High Court or any Taxing-Master or in the event of the office of such Master or Taxing-Master being vacant the Minister may appoint a deputy to execute the office of such Master or Taxing-Master during such absence, incapacity, or vacancy.

(2) A deputy appointed under this section shall while his appointment continues have and exercise all the powers and authorities and shall perform and fulfil all the duties and functions of the officer whose deputy he is.

(3) Except in the case of the temporary incapacity of an officer through illness no office shall be executed by a deputy appointed under this section for any period or periods exceeding in all three months in any year.

(4) No person shall be appointed under this section to be a Deputy Master of the High Court unless at the time of his appointment he either possesses the qualifications prescribed by this Act for persons appointed to be Master of the High Court or is an officer employed in the Central Office who has during the next preceding twelve years been employed in one or more of the offices established by this Part of this Act or of the offices the business of which is transferred by this Act to the offices established by this Part of this Act.

(5) No person shall be appointed under this section to be a Deputy-Taxing Master unless at the time of his appointment he possesses the qualifications prescribed by this Act for persons appointed to be Taxing Master.

Deputies for principal officers.

28. —(1) The Minister may in the case of each of the offices established by this Part of this Act (other than the Central Office and the Taxing-Master's Office) nominate one of the officers for the time being serving in the office to be the deputy for the principal officer having under this Act the management of such office, and every officer so nominated shall, during every temporary absence and every temporary incapacity through illness of such principal officer and every occasion on which the office of such principal officer is vacant occurring while such nomination remains unrevoked, have and exercise the powers and authorities and perform and fulfil the duties and functions for the time being vested by law in such principal officer.

(2) In this section the word “office” shall in its application to the Bankruptcy Office be construed as meaning a branch of an office.

Transfer of property vested in officials.

29. —(1) All securities and moneys which are immediately before the commencement of this Part of this Act standing in the books of the government of Saorstát Eireann or any foreign government or any bank or any company or other body corporate whatsoever (whether such bank, company, or body is within or outside Saorstát Eireann) in the name or to the account of the Accountant-General of the High Court of Justice of Saorstát Eireann or of the Accountant-General of the Supreme Court of Judicature in Southern Ireland shall immediately upon the commencement of this Part of this Act become and be vested in the Accountant for the time being of the Courts of Justice in Saorstát Eireann without any transfer, assignment, or other instrument.

(2) All real and personal property (including choses-in-action) whatsoever which is immediately before the commencement of this Part of this Act vested in the Official Assignee of the High Court shall immediately upon the commencement of this Part of this Act become and be (without any conveyance, transfer, or other instrument) vested in the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy for the time being of the High Court for all the estate and interest and subject to the trusts and for the purposes for and subject to which such property was respectively vested in the said Official Assignee, and accordingly all securities and moneys which are immediately before the commencement of this Part of this Act standing in the books of the government of Saorstát Eireann or any foreign government or any bank, or any company or other body corporate whatsoever (whether such bank, company, or body is within or outside Saorstát Eireann) in the name or to the account of the Official Assignee of the High Court of Justice of Saorstát Eireann or of the Official Assignee of the High Court of Justice in Southern Ireland shall immediately upon the commencement of this Part of this Act become and be vested in the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy of the High Court of Justice of Saorstát Eireann without any transfer, assignment, or other instrument.

(3) All chattels and all documents which immediately before the commencement of this Part of this Act are deposited for safe custody or otherwise with the Accountant-General of the High Court of Justice in Saorstát Eireann shall upon the commencement of this Part of this Act and without any further order be transferred to the Accountant of the Courts of Justice and be held by him for the same purposes as such chattels and documents were respectively held by the said Accountant-General immediately before such commencement.

(4) In this section—

the word “securities” includes every description of stocks, shares, debentures, bonds, mortgages, and other securities and all dividends and interest accrued or accruing thereon;

the word “moneys” includes moneys in bank on deposit or current accounts;

and references to the books of a government, bank, company, or other body corporate includes books kept for a government, bank, company, or body corporate by any bank, company, body, or person.

Application of Civil Service Regulation Act, 1924 .

30. —(1) During the period of eighteen months from the commencement of this Part of this Act, the Civil Service Regulation Act, 1924 (No. 5 of 1924), shall not apply to any appointment of an existing officer to an office created by this Part of this Act or to a situation in any office established by this Part of this Act.

(2) In this section the expression “existing officer” means and includes all registrars, clerks, messengers, criers, and other officers and servants who at the commencement of this Part of this Act are attached to the Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeal, the High Court, or the Chief Justice, and are pensionable officers or servants.

Abolition of existing posts and offices.

31. —(1) Whenever it is expressly enacted by this Part of this Act that any officer holding a post (in this sub-section referred to as the new post) created by this Part of this Act is to have or exercise the powers or authorities or perform or fulfil the duties or functions which were formerly vested in or imposed on the holder of a post (in this sub-section referred to as the existing post) existing immediately or at any other time before the commencement of this Part of this Act, the existing post if not abolished by virtue of any other provision of this Act is hereby abolished as from the commencement of this Part of this Act, and as from the abolition of the existing post (whether effected by this sub-section or by some other provision of this Act) every enactment referring to the existing post (other than enactments relating to the appointment to, qualification for, or remuneration or tenure of the existing post) shall, if and so far as such enactment continues in force and capable of taking effect, be construed and have effect as if in lieu of the references therein to the existing post there were inserted therein references to the new post.

(2) Whenever it is enacted by this Part of this Act that the business to be transacted in any office (in this sub-section referred to as the new office) is to be or to include the business formerly transacted in an office (in this sub-section referred to as the existing office) existing immediately or at any other time before the commencement of this Part of this Act, the existing office if not abolished by virtue of any other provision of this Act is hereby abolished as from the commencement of this Part of this Act, and as from the abolition of the existing office (whether effected by this sub-section or by some other provision of this Act) all references in any enactment to the existing office (other than references to the staff of the existing office) shall be construed as references to the new office and such enactment shall have effect accordingly.

(3) Every post—

(a) which is at the commencement of this Part of this Act attached to the Supreme Court, the High Court, the Court of Criminal Appeal, or the Chief Justice or was attached to the former Supreme Court of Judicature or the Lord Chancellor for Ireland, and

(b) was created by statute or rule of court, and

(c) the powers, authorities, duties, or functions of the holder of which are not expressly transferred by this Part of this Act to the holder of a post created by this Act,

is hereby abolished (unless abolished by virtue of any other provision of this Act) as from the commencement of this Part of this Act, and as from such abolition (whether effected by this sub-section or by any other provision of this Act) the powers, authorities, duties, and functions of the holder of the post shall, so far as they remain capable of being exercised or performed, be vested in the Master of the High Court unless and until otherwise provided by rules of court, and every enactment referring to the holder of such post (other than enactments relating to the appointment to, qualification for, or remuneration or tenure of such post) shall, if and so far as the same continues in force and capable of taking effect, be construed and have effect as referring to the Master of the High Court in lieu of the holder of such post.

(4) Every office—

(a) which is at the commencement of this Part of this Act attached to the Supreme Court, the High Court, the Court of Criminal Appeal, or the Chief Justice or was attached to the former Supreme Court of Judicature or the Lord Chancellor for Ireland, and

(b) was established by statute or rule of court, and

(c) the business of which is not transferred by this Part of this Act to any of the offices established by this Act,

is hereby abolished (unless abolished by virtue of some other provision of this Act) as from the commencement of this Part of this Act, and as from such abolition (whether effected by this sub-section or by some other provision of this Act) the business formerly transacted in such office shall, if and so far as the same shall require to be transacted, be transacted in the Central Office unless and until otherwise provided by rules of court, and every enactment referring to such office (other than enactments relating to the staff of such office) shall, if and so far as the same continues in force and capable of taking effect, be construed and have effect as referring to the Central Office in lieu of such office.

Saving for Land Registry.

32. —Nothing in this Act shall apply to the Central Office established under the Local Registration of Title (Ireland) Act, 1891 nor to any Local Office established under that Act which immediately before the commencement of Part II of this Act is under the management and control of a person who is not the Clerk of the Crown and Peace, and neither the said Central Office nor any such Local Office shall for the purposes of this Act be deemed to be or to have been attached to the High Court or to the former Supreme Court of Judicature or any branch or division thereof.

Saving for district probate registries.

33. —Save and except section 56 (which relates to the closing of district probate registries) and section 62 (which relates to the grant of Civil Service Certificates to certain officers) nothing in this Act shall apply to the District Probate Registries, and none of those Registries shall for the purposes of this Act (except section 62 ) be deemed to be or to have been attached to the High Court or to the former Supreme Court of Judicature or any branch or division thereof.