Courts of Justice Act, 1924

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR No. 10/1924
• Year: 1924

Number 10 of 1924.
THE COURTS OF JUSTICE ACT, 1924.
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Preliminary
Section 1. Short Title. 2. Commencement of Act. 3. Interpretation of terms.
Part I
THE HIGH COURT AND THE SUPREME COURT
4. Constitution of High Court. 5. Constitution of Supreme Court. 6. Ex-officio judges. 7. Sitting of High Court judges in Supreme Court. 8. Court of Criminal Appeal. 9. Precedence between judges. 10. Mode of address. 11. Vacancy in office of judge. 12. Age of retirement. 13. Remuneration. 14. Pension. 15. Charge of remuneration and pension on Central Fund. 16. Qualification for appointment. 17. Jurisdiction of High Court. 18. Jurisdiction of Supreme Court. 19. Jurisdictions transferred to Chief Justice. 20. Reference Committee under Finance (1909-10) Act, 1910. 21. Transfer of pending business. 22. Jurisdiction to be exercised pursuant to rules of court. 23. Rota of judges for election petitions. 24. Judges to have jurisdiction to hear all cases, but no judge to hear appeal from order made by himself. 25. Remittal or transfer of actions. 26. Appeal in remitting applications. 27. Grand Jury not to be summoned for consideration of indictments. 28. Court of Criminal Appeal to sit in Dublin; one member alone to pronounce judgment. 29. Decision of Court of Criminal Appeal final save on certificate of Attorney-General. 30. Court of Criminal Appeal a superior court of record. 31. Appeal from Central Criminal Court and Court of High Court Circuit. 32. Leave to appeal in certain cases. 33. Hearing of appeal. 34. Jurisdiction to affirm or reverse conviction. 35. Appellant guilty but insane. 36. Rules of Court.
Part II.
THE CIRCUIT COURT.
37. Constitution of Circuit Court. 38. Mode of Address and precedence of judges. 39. Tenure of office. 40. Age of retirement. 41. Salaries and pensions. 42. Charge of salaries and pensions on Central Fund. 43. Qualification for appointment. 44. Circuits comprising Irish-speaking districts. 45. Vacancy in office of judge; illness and deputy. 46. Power to appoint temporary assistant judges. 47. Circuit Court a court of record. 48. Jurisdiction in civil cases. 49. Jurisdiction in criminal cases. 50. Jurisdiction in applications for new licences. 51. Jurisdiction transferred and application of Sections 21 & 22 mutatis mutandis 52. Exercise of jurisdiction by judges severally in civil cases. 53. Exercise of jurisdiction by judges severally in criminal cases. 54. Cases to be sent forward to Court of High Court Circuit or Central Criminal Court. 55. Exercise of jurisdiction in licensing cases. 56. Exclusions from jurisdiction. 57. Ancillary powers. 58. Powers of procuring attendance of witnesses. 59. Registering circuit action as lis pendens and judgment exceeding £20 over costs. 60. Service of documents and enforcement of judgments. 61. Appeal in civil cases. 62. Appeal on report of official stenographer and power to admit fresh evidence. 63. Appeal in all cases tried on indictment. 64. Section 27 to apply to indictments in Circuit Court. 65. Rule making authority for Circuit Court. 66. Rules of Circuit Court.
Part III
THE DISTRICT COURT
67. Constitution of District Court. 68. Justices of District Court to be appointed. 69. Qualification for appointment. 70. Vacancy in office: illness and deputy. 71. Court Districts comprising Irish-speaking areas. 72. Age of retirement. 73. Justices not removable from office save as mentioned in section. 74. Remuneration. 75. Pensions. 76. Temporary Assistant Justices. 77. Jurisdiction of the District Court. 78. Jurisdiction transferred to the District Court. 79. Exercise by the Justices severally of jurisdictions. 80. “The Children's Court.” 81. Orders under Debtor's Act (Ireland) 1872, Section 6. 82. Execution of decrees. 83. Case stated for High Court on question of law. 84. Appeal in civil cases. 85. Appeal in criminal cases. 86. Case stated or appeal to be in form, etc., prescribed by rules. 87. Appeal in licensing cases. 88. Appointment of Peace Commissioners. 89. No further appointments under District Justices (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. 90. Rule-making authority. 91. Rules for carrying this Part of this Act into effect. 92. Sanction of rules.
Part IV
MISCELLANEOUS AND TRANSITORY PROVISIONS
93. Existing solicitors and commissioners for administering oaths. 94. Right to jury in civil cases, and costs in such cases. 95. Verdict of nine members of jury in civil cases. 96. Form of appeals in jury cases. 97. Report of stenographer to be certified. 98. Courts in Dublin Castle deemed to be situated in City and County of Dublin. 99. Declaration to be taken by judges and justices on appointment. 100. Age of retirement for existing judges appointed under this Act. 101. Rules not to come into operation until approved by Oireachtas. 102. Provisions as to existing officers. 103. Appeals pending to Judge of Assize shall be heard by Judges of High Court. 104. Trial of persons awaiting trial at commencement of Act.
SCHEDULE
Acts Referred to Dáil Eireann Courts (Winding-Up) Act, 1923 No. 36 of 1923 Adaptation of Enactments Act, 1922 No. 2 of 1922 District Justices (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923 No. 6 of 1923
Number 10 of 1924.
THE COURTS OF JUSTICE ACT, 1924.
AN ACT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COURTS OF JUSTICE PURSUANT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF SAORSTAT EIREANN AND FOR PURPOSES RELATING TO THE BETTER ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. [12th April, 1924.]
WHEREAS it is necessary for the exercise of the judicial power of Saorstát Eireann and the administration of justice therein to establish public courts in accordance with the provisions in that behalf contained in the Constitution:
BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS OF SAORSTAT EIREANN AS FOLLOWS:—
Preliminary.
	Short Title,	1.—This Act may be cited for all purposes as “The Courts of Justice Act, 1924.”
	Commencement of Act.	2.—This Act shall come into operation on such day or days as may be fixed therefor by any Order or Orders of the Executive Council and different days may be fixed for the commencement of the Act for different purposes provided that no such day be later than five months after the passing of this Act.
	Interpretation of terms.	3.—In the construction of this Act, unless there is anything in the subject or context repugnant, the several words and expressions hereinafter mentioned shall have or include the meanings following, that is to say:—
	“Central Criminal Court” (“Príomh-Chúirt Choiriúil”) shall mean the judge of the High Court, to whom is assigned the duty of acting as such Court for the time being:
	“Commissioners of the High Court Circuit” shall mean such judges or other persons as have been heretofore named in Commissions of Assize, to whom there may be assigned the exercise of any civil or criminal jurisdiction capable of being exercised by the High Court;
	“Court of the High Court Circuit” shall mean the Court of any such Commissioner of the High Court Circuit;
	“District Court,” “Circuit Court,” “High Court” and “Supreme Court” shall mean the Courts of Justice of Saorstát Eireann so named in this Act;
	“In lunacy” shall mean in relation to the custody of the persons and estates of idiots, lunatics, and persons of unsound mind;
	“In minor matters” shall mean in relation to the wardship of infants, and the care of infants' estates;
	“Land” shall include all incorporeal as well as corporeal tenements and hereditaments.
Part I. THE HIGH COURT AND THE SUPREME COURT.
	Constitution of High Court.	4.—A High Court of Justice (An Ard-Chúirt Bhreithiúnais) shall be constituted under this Act, consisting of not more than six judges (namely, a President and five ordinary judges), who shall be styled in their respective appointments “President” (“Uachtarán”) or “Judge” (“Breitheamh”) as the case may be “of the High Court of Justice of Saorstát Eireann.”
	Constitution of Supreme Court.	5.—A Supreme Court of Justice (Cúirt Bhreithiúnais Uachtarach) shall be constituted under this Act to be the Supreme Court of the Irish Free State (An Chúirt Uachtarach) referred to in the Constitution and shall consist of three judges of whom the president (who is hereinafter called “the Chief Justice”) shall be styled in his appointment “Chief Justice of the Irish Free State” or “Prímh-Bhreitheamh Shaorstát Eireann,” and each of the other judges “Judge (Breitheamh) of the Supreme Court of Justice of Saorstát Eireann.”
	Ex-officio judges.	6.—The President of the High Court shall be ex-officio an additional judge of the Supreme Court, and the Chief Justice shall be ex-officio an additional judge of the High Court.
	Sitting of High Court judges in Supreme Court.	7.—Whenever owing to the illness of a judge of the Supreme Court or for any other unavoidable cause the number of judges of the Supreme Court requisite for...