Page:Indictments Act 1915 (UKPGA Geo5-5-6-90 qp).pdf/3

CHAPTER 90.

A.D. 1915. An Act to amend the Law relating to Indictments in Criminal Cases, and matters incidental or similar thereto.[23rd December 1915.]

BE it therefore enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Rules as to indictments. 1. The rules contained in the First Schedule to. this Act With respect to indictments shall have effect as if enacted in this Act, but those rules may be added to, varied, or annulled by further rules made by the rule committee under this Act.

Powers of rule committee. 2.—(1) There shall be established for the purposes of this Act a rule committee consisting of the Lord Chief Justice of England for the time being, and of a judge of the High Court, a chairman of quarter sessions, a recorder, a clerk of assize, a clerk of the peace, and another person having experience in criminal procedure, appointed in each case by the Lord Chief Justice.

(2) The rule committee shall have power from time to time, subject to the approval of the Lord Chancellor, to make rules varying or annulling the rules contained in the First Schedule to this Act and to make further rules with respect to the matters dealt with in those rules, and those rules shall have effect subject to any modifications or additions so made.

(3) Any rules made by the rule committee shall be laid, as soon as may be, before both Houses of Parliament, and, if within forty days on which either House has sat since the rules were so aid before the House a petition is presented to His Majesty by that House praying that the rules or any part of them may be annulled, His Majesty may thereupon by Order in Council annul the same, and the same thall thenceforth be void, but without prejudice to the validity of anything done thereunder.

(4) The term of office of any person who is a member of the committee by virtue of appointment shall be such as may be specified in the appointment.