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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Legislature assembled and by the authority of the same:

SECTION 1. Section two hundred and seven of Act Numbered Twenty-seven hundred and eleven, commonly known as the Administrative Code, as amended by section twenty-seven of Act Numbered Four thousand and fifty-seven, is hereby further amended to read-as follows:

"SEC. 207. Qualifications for the office of justice of the peace.—No person shall be eligible to appointment as justice of the peace or auxiliary justice of the peace unless he shall be (1) at least twenty-three years of age; (2) a citizen of the Philippine Islands or of the United States; (3) of good moral character and not convicted of any felony; and (4) admitted by the Supreme Court to practice law, if there be any available; if not, he shall be a person who has at least finished the courses of legal study in a recognized school, or shall have passed the civil service examination for clerk of court. As vacancies occur, the Department Head may group municipalities into circuit courts, composed of at least two municipalities: Provided, however, That the capital of the province shall not be grouped with any other municipality except in fourth or fifth-class provinces, if the Secretary of Justice so directs: Provided, further, That any designation or appointment that has heretofore been made of any justice of the peace of a provincial capital except in a fourth or fifth-class province to act as such in any other municipality shall, from the date of the taking effect of this Act, be considered as cancelled and of no effect: And provided, finally, That the Secretary of Justice may, upon the recommendation of the judge of first instance concerned, designate the justice of the peace of the capital of a province or subprovince as clerk of court ex officio of said province or sub-province.

"No person shall be appointed judge of the Municipal Court of the City of Manila and of the provincial capitals unless he shall have practiced law in the Philippine Islands for a period of five years, and no person shall be appointed justice of the peace of any first-class municipality unless he has been admitted to the bar by the Supreme Court of the Philippine Islands. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of Justice, with the consent of the Senate, in the case of municipalities which have been or may be promoted to the first class or have become or may become provincial capitals, to transfer to other municipalities any incumbent of the office of justice of the peace who is not a member of the bar."

SEC. 2. This Act shall take effect on its approval.

Approved, December 6, 1934.