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21 1946

COURTS OF JUSTICE (DISTRICT COURT) ACT, 1946

PART II.

Provisions in Relation to the Dublin Metropolitan Justices.

Divisions of the Dublin Metropolitan Justices.

5. —(1) For the more convenient dispatch of the business of the District Court in the Dublin Metropolitan District, the Dublin Metropolitan Justices shall, on the appointed (Part II) day, stand, by virtue of this subsection, grouped into three Divisions, each of which shall be known by the name assigned to it by the Minister.

(2) Each Division shall consist of—

(a) a Justice, to be known as the Principal Justice of that Division,

(b) such number (if any) of other Justices, to be known as ordinary Justices of that Division, as may from time to time be fixed by the Minister.

Provisions in relation to Principal Justices.

6. —(1) The following provisions shall apply in relation to the Principal Justice of a Division—

(a) he shall be nominated by the Minister from amongst the Dublin Metropolitan Justices,

(b) he shall not be transferred to another Division except with his own consent,

(c) he shall arrange for the distribution of the business of the said Division amongst the several Justices of the said Division.

(2) Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Principal Justice of a Division (in this subsection referred to as the said Division) or the Principal Justice of a Division (in this subsection also referred to as the said Division) is for any reason unable to act, the Minister may—

(a) nominate the Principal Justice of another Division, with his consent, to act temporarily as Principal Justice of the said Division, in addition to his own Division, or

(b) nominate one of the Dublin Metropolitan Justices (being an ordinary Justice of a Division) to act temporarily as Principal Justice of the said Division, but without additional remuneration,

and a Justice so nominated shall act accordingly.

(3) The Minister shall nominate the Justice, who is, immediately before the appointed (Part II) day, the senior of the Dublin Metropolitan Justices, to be the Principal Justice of one of the Divisions.

Provisions in relation to ordinary Justices of Divisions.

7. —The following provisions shall apply in relation to an ordinary Justice of a Division—

(a) he shall be nominated by the Minister from amongst the Dublin Metropolitan Justices,

(b) he may from time to time be transferred from his said Division by the Minister to another Division.

Salaries of Dublin Metropolitan Justices.

8. —(1) The Principal Justice of a Division shall receive a salary of one thousand two hundred pounds per annum.

(2) Every Dublin Metropolitan Justice (other than the Principal Justice of a Division) shall receive a salary of one thousand one hundred pounds per annum.

(3) The salaries mentioned in subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall be charged on and payable out of the Central Fund or the growing produce thereof.

(4) Subsections (1), (2) and (3) of this section shall come into operation on the appointed (Part II) day.

Nomination of additional Justices of Divisions.

9. —(1) The Minister may from time to time nominate a Justice, who is not permanently assigned to a particular district and who is for the time being temporarily assigned to the Dublin Metropolitan District, to act as an additional Justice of a Division.

(2) The Minister may from time to time nominate a temporary Justice, who is for the time being temporarily assigned to the Dublin Metropolitan District, to act as an additional Justice of a Division.

(3) A Justice or a temporary Justice who is nominated under this section to act as an additional Justice of a Division shall so act until the Minister terminates his nomination.

Distribution of business amongst Divisions.

10. —The business of the District Court to be transacted in the Dublin Metropolitan District shall be distributed amongst the several Divisions in such manner as the Minister may from time to time direct.

Places, etc., at which business of Divisions is to be transacted.

11. —(1) The Minister may, in respect of each Division, from time to time,—

(a) appoint the places in the Dublin Metropolitan District for the transaction of the business of such Division,

(b) determine the class or classes of the business of such Division to be transacted in each of the several places so appointed,

(c) determine the days and hours at which the several classes of such business shall be respectively transacted in the several places so appointed.

(2) The Minister may authorise the Principal Justice of a Division to exercise, in respect of such Division, the powers exercisable by the Minister under paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (1) of this section, and may determine any such authority.

Provisions for pending business.

12. —(1) All business of the District Court in the Dublin Metropolitan District, which is initiated before the appointed (Part II) day and is not completed before the appointed (Part II) day, shall be continued and completed as if this Act had not been passed.

(2) For the purposes of this section, business of the District Court shall be regarded as being initiated on the day on which the summons, warrant, process or other originating document relating to it is issued.

Ex-officio members of the District Court Rules Committee.

13. —The ex-officio members of the District Court Rules Committee, established by section 71 of the Act of 1936, shall, as on and from the appointed (Part II) day, be—

(a) such one (being the Principal Justice of a Division) of the Justices as the Minister shall nominate in that behalf, who shall be the chairman of the said Committee,

(b) such one of the District Court clerks of the Dublin Metropolitan District as the Minister shall nominate in that behalf, who shall be the secretary of the said Committee.