Watch Committee - Law Dictionary Search Results

Home Dictionary Name: watch committee

Watch Committee

Watch Committee, a committee of the town council of a municipal borough, not exceeding one-third of the council in number, having the appointment and control of the borough constables, (English) Municipal Corporations Act, 1882, ss. 5, 190, 191. Prior to this Act, it was a common custom for a town council to constitute the whole of their number the watch committee....

Constable

Constable [fr. Comes stabuli, Lat., in the eastern empire a superintendent of the imperial stables, or the emperor's master of the horse, who at length obtained the command of the army], an officer to whom our law commits the duty of maintaining the peace, and bringing to justice those by whom it is infringed.Provision is made for the abolition of the office of High Constable by the (English) High Constables Act, 1869 (32 & 33 Vict. c. 67), and of that of Parish Constable by the Parish Constables Act, 1872 (35 & 36 Vict. c. 92), which Act, however, still allows of their appointment in exceptional cases.By the (English) Municipal Corporations Act, 1882, s. 191, in all boroughs to which that Act applies, 'borough constables' are appointed by the Watch Committee, but the (English) Local Government Act,1888, has, in the case of boroughs having a population of less than 10,000 transferred the appointments to the county councils.In counties constables were appointed by the justices of the pe...

Quarter Sessions

Quarter Sessions, the sittings of the whole body of the justices of the peace in a county, and of a recorder in a borough, having a separate Court of quarter sessions, four times in each year, or oftener, to try certain indictable offences, and hear appeals from petty sessions. The holding of quarter sessions can be dispensed with or the time for holding them varied within certain limits by virtue of the Assizes and Quarter Sessions Act, 1908, as amended by the Crim. Justice Act, 1925; see ss. 18-23 and 1st Sched. Where by statute the decision of the Quarter Sessions is final, there is no power to state a case for the opinion of the High Court, Kydd v. Liverpool Watch Committee, 1908 AC 327. See SESSIONS OF THE PLACE....

<< Prev.
Next >>