Referees

COURT OF. In the passage of private bills through the house of commons, the practice was adopted in 1864 of the appointment of referees on such bills, consisting of the chairman of ways and means and not less than three other persons to be appointed by the speaker. The referees were formed into one or more courts, three at least being required to constitute each court, a member in every case being chairreported to the house. The committees of the house on any bill might also refer any question to the referees for their decision. It was also ordered in 1864 that the referees should decide on all petitions as to the right of the petitioner to be heard, i. e„ his locus standi. A court of referees was specially constituted for the adjudication of this right, called locus standi. A series of reports of the court of referees on private bills in parliament, called Locus Standi reports, has been published since 1867.