Orders of the Day — ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE BILL [Lords].

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am ar 27 Gorffennaf 1923.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Mr William Pringle Mr William Pringle , Penistone

This Bill is not doing it; that is our case. It is because this Bill is not doing it that we are taking this opportunity of exposing the intention of the Government, and of seeking a definite decision of the House to prevent its being carried out. I could quote expressions of opinion, equally emphatic, in the judgment of Lord Justice Atkin. He refers to the Act of 1920 as one by which, for the first time in history, a British subject is permanently deprived of his right to have Common Law actions tried by jury. In one respect, at least, this Bill is worse than the Act of 1920. The Act of 1920 continued the Act of 1918, which was introduced as a temporary Measure. Under the Act of 1918, cases involving questions of fraud were among the exempted cases, in which there was an absolute right to trial by jury. If hon. Members look at the particular paragraph with which we are now concerned, they will find that the special instance of cases of fraud is omitted. What was allowed, even in the Act of 1918 and the Act of 1920, is withdrawn by the present Bill.