Irish Universities Act 1908

JurisdictionUK Non-devolved


Irish Universities Act, 1908.

(8 Edw. 7.) CHAPTER 38.

An Act to make further provision with respect to University Education in Ireland.

[1st August 1908]

Be it 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:

Queen's Colleges.

Queen's Colleges.

S-1 Foundation of two new universities in Ireland and dissolution of the Royal University and Queen's College, Belfast.

1 Foundation of two new universities in Ireland and dissolution of the Royal University and Queen's College, Belfast.

(1) His Majesty may, if pleased to do so, by charter, found two new universities in Ireland (in this Act referred to as the new universities), those universities respectively to have their seats at Dublin and Belfast.

(2) The two universities shall be bodies corporate under such names respectively as His Majesty may be pleased to determine, and the governing bodies of the universities shall, until the expiration of five years from the day appointed for the dissolution of the Royal University of Ireland, consist of such number of persons nominated by His Majesty as His Majesty determines, and after the expiration of that time be constituted in manner provided by the First Schedule to this Act.

(3) The Royal University of Ireland and Queen's College, Belfast, shall be dissolved as from the appointed day.

S-2 Colleges.

2 Colleges.

(1) His Majesty may, if pleased to do so, by charter, found a new college to have its seat at Dublin.

(2) The college shall be a body corporate under such name as His Majesty may be pleased to determine, and the governing body of the college shall be constituted in manner provided by the charter.

(3) Queen's College, Cork, Queen's College, Galway, and the new college having its seat at Dublin, shall be constituent colleges of the new university having its seat at Dublin, and, for the purpose of making any alterations in the constitution or government of Queen's College, Cork, or Queen's College, Galway, which the passing of this Act renders it expedient to make by charter, His Majesty may, if pleased to do so, either alter the charter existing at the time of the passing, of this Act, or grant a new charter in lieu thereof, and may, if pleased to do so, alter the name of those colleges or either of them, and provision shall be made by any such new charter or alteration of an existing charter for adequate representation of graduates and professors on the governing bodies of the constituent colleges.

(4) Nothing in this section shall prevent provision being made by the charter of the new universities under which the university may give to matriculated students of the university, who are pursuing a course of study of a university type approved by the governing body of the university in any recognised college in Ireland under teachers recognised by the governing body for the purpose, the benefit of any privileges of matriculated students of the university who are pursuing a course of study at the university, including the right of obtaining a university degree, subject to any conditions or limitations contained in the charter or statutes of the university: Provided that the university shall not give privileges under this provision to students in any college or institution in Ireland which prepares students for intermediate or other school examinations, or gives education of an intermediate or secondary kind.

S-3 Prohibition of tests.

3 Prohibition of tests.

(1) No test whatever of religious belief shall be imposed on any person as a condition of his becoming or continuing to be a professor, lecturer, fellow, scholar, exhibitioner, graduate, or student of, or of his holding any office or emolument or exercising any privilege in, either of the two new universities, or any constituent college; nor in connection with either of those universities or any such constituent college shall any preference be given to or advantage be withheld from any person on the ground of religious belief.

(2) Every professor upon entering into office shall sign a declaration in a form approved by the Commissioners jointly under this Act, securing the respectful treatment of the religious opinions of any of his class.

(3) Nothing in this section shall apply to any professor of or lecturer in theology or divinity; provided that no test of religious belief shall be imposed by the governing body of either of the two new universities or any constituent college on any such professor or lecturer as a condition of his appointment or recognition by the governing body as such professor or lecturer.

S-4 Statutes fos universities and colleges.

4 Statutes fos universities and colleges.

(1) The statutes for the general government of the new universities and the constituent colleges of the new university having its seat at Dublin shall be made in the first instance, as respects the statutes of the new university having its seat at Dublin and the constituent colleges thereof, by the Dublin Commissioners appointed under this Act, and as respects the new university having its seat at Belfast by the Belfast Commissioners appointed under this Act, and, after the powers of these commissioners determine, by the governing bodies of the universities and colleges.

(2) The commissioners, in framing statutes under this section, shall take into consideration any representations made to them by the governing bodies of the new universities or of the constituent colleges of the new university having its seat at Dublin, as respects the statutes for those universities and colleges respectively, or by any person appearing to the commissioners to be interested in the making of those statutes or any of them.

(3) Statutes made under this section may regulate any matter relating to the government of the university or college (including the appointment and remuneration of officers) or otherwise concerning the university or college so far as that matter is not regulated under this Act or by the charter of the university or college.

S-5 Statutes to be laid before Parliament.

5 Statutes to be laid before Parliament.

(1) When any statute has been made under this Act, a notice of its having been made and of the place where copies can be obtained shall be published in the Dublin Gazette, and the statute shall be laid as soon as may be before both Houses of Parliament.

(2) If either House of Parliament within forty days (exclusive of any period of prorogation) after a statute has been laid before it presents an address praying His Majesty to disallow the statute or any part thereof, no further proceedings shall be taken on the statute or on the part thereof to which the address relates; but this provision shall be without prejudice to the making of a new statute.

(3) The governing body of a university or constituent college to which the statute relates, or any other person, corporation, or body directly affected by the statute, may, within three months from the notification thereof in the Dublin Gazette, petition the Lord Lieutenant in Council to disallow the whole or any part thereof.

(4) The Lord Lieutenant in Council may refer any such petition to the Irish Universities Committee, with a direction that the committee hear the petitioner personally or by counsel, and report specially to the Lord Lieutenant in Council on the matter of the petition.

(5) If the committee report in favour of the disallowance of the statute or any part thereof, the Lord Lieutenant may, by Order in Council, disallow the whole or part thereof accordingly, but any such disallowance shall be without prejudice to the making of a new statute.

S-6 Establishment of commissions.

6 Establishment of commissions.

(1) For the purposes of this Act there shall be two bodies of commissioners, styled respectively the Dublin Commissioners and the Belfast Commissioners, and any reference to commissioners in this Act shall be construed as a reference to the Dublin Commissioners, or the Belfast Commissioners, or to both bodies of commissioners, as the case requires.

(2) The Dublin Commissioners shall be the Right Honourable Christopher Palles, Alexander Anderson, John Pius Boland, Sir William Francis Butler, Denis Joseph Coffey, Stephen Gwynn, Henry Jackson, Sir John Rhys, The Most Reverend William, Joseph Walsh, Bertram Coghill Alan Windle; and the Belfast Commissioners shall be His Honour James Johnston Shaw, Samuel Dill, The Reverend Thomas Hamilton, Donald Macalister, Robert T. Martin, Sir Arthur William Rcker, Johnson Symington.

(3) The chairman of the Dublin and Belfast commissioners respectively shall be appointed by His Majesty from amongst the members of the Commission.

(4) If a vacancy occurs in the office of a commissioner by reason of death, resignation, incapacity, or otherwise, His Majesty may appoint a person to fzill the vacancy.

(5) For the purpose of dealing with any matter which is to be dealt with by the commissioners jointly under this Act, a joint committee shall be appointed consisting of eight commissioners, four being appointed by each body of commissioners from amongst the members of that body.

Any matter which is to be so dealt with jointly shall be dealt with and determined by the joint committee.

(6) If a vacancy occurs amongst the members of the joint committee by reason of death, resignation, incapacity, the vacating of the office of commissioner or otherwise, the body of commissioners who appointed the person whose office is vacant shall appoint another commissioner to take his place.

(7) The provisions set out in the Second Schedule to this Act shall have effect with respect to the procedure of the commissioners.

(8) The commissioners may, with the consent of the Treasury as to number, appoint or employ such persons as they may think necessary...

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