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therine by the Acting Chief Justice Mr Panncefole, who in the absence on leave of Mr. Pollard, the Attorney General, drafted the Ordinance and took charge of it in Council.
The Ordinance introduces much simplicity and abolishes many anomalies in the local Law connected with Criminal procedure in the signing of informations (a fertile source formerly of dispute), the forms of information, the punishment of certain indictable misdemeanors - fresh powers to Magistrates and the Coroner, and several other subjects. Mr Panncefole took the trouble of fully drawing up explanatory Notes illustrating the reasons for many of the proposed changes, of which several are of a purely professional and technical character.
I am thus enabled, by referring Your Lordship to those explanations, to ensure a favourable opinion of the Ordinance.
I take this opportunity of explaining that I am obliged to hold back several other Ordinances recently passed till I can receive the Attorney General's Report on them, as that Officer was absent on leave till...