PRIVY COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 50, 22 November 1928, Page 9

PRIVY COUNCIL

ADDITIONS TO JUDICIAL COMMITTEE TWO MORE MEMBERS LORD BIRKENHEAD’S PENSION (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Australian Press Assn. —United Service.) Loudon, November 20. In the House of Commons, the Attor-ney-General, Sir Thomas Inskip, moved the appointment of two additional members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council at a salary of £4OOO a year and a pension of £lOOO additional, and a Judge of the Appeal Court at a salary of £6OOO and a pension of £3750. He pointed out that Lord Haldane had shortened his life by overwork on the Judicial Committee. Sir Henry Slesser (Labour) : “Would Lord Birkenhead claim as ex-Lord Chancellor a pension of £5OOO, seeing that he did not propose to serve on the Judicial Committee?” Sir Thomas Inskip said that Lord Birkenhead had informed him that he would shortly undertake new employment at substantial emoluments. He proposed to claim the pension only for the transition period. Nevertheless, Lord Birkenhead’s view was that the pension was for past, not present legal services.

Sir Hamar Greenwood (C.) said that the Judicial Committee was the strongest link of Empire and needed strengthening. The Canadian view was that it ought not to depend on aged jurists who, however eminent in their prime, no longer impressed litigants and counsel from the Dominions and colonies. Mr. Wedgewood Benn: How many directorships does Lord Birkenhead need before relinquishing his pension? Could he reclaim his pensions if his commercial ventures come to nothing? Sir Thomas Inskip: Certainly. The resolution was carried without division.