Courts of Justice (District Court) Act, 1946

Assignment of Justices to districts.

17.—(1) (a) Where a person is appointed a Justice, then, subject to paragraph (b) of this subsection, the Government, if they think fit, may, upon such appointment, assign him permanently to a particular district.

(b) Where, at the time of the appointment of a person to be a Justice, there are four Justices not permanently assigned to particular districts, the Government shall assign such person permanently to a particular district.

(c) Where a Justice is immediately before the operative date permanently assigned to a particular district he shall for the purposes of this section continue, subject to subsections (3) and (4) of this section, to be permanently assigned to that district.

(2) Where a Justice is not upon appointment permanently assigned to a particular district, the Government may at any time assign him permanently to a particular district.

(3) A Justice who is permanently assigned to a particular district may, but only if he so consents, be transferred by the Minister to another district and shall upon such transfer become and be permanently assigned to such other district in lieu of being permanently assigned to such first-mentioned district.

(4) (a) Where a Justice is permanently assigned to a particular district, the Government, upon his request, may, if they think fit, terminate such permanent assignment.

(b) Where the permanent appointment of a Justice to a particular district is terminated under paragraph (a) of this subsection, the Government may at any time thereafter assign him permanently to a particular district.

(5) A Justice who is not for the time being permanently assigned to a particular district may be assigned by the Minister from time to time to any district, and every such Justice shall, while so assigned to a district, have in relation to such district and concurrently with the Justice permanently assigned to such district all the privileges, powers and duties for the time being conferred or imposed by law on the Justice permanently assigned to such district.

(6) Nothing in this section shall apply to temporary Justices.