The Eighth Schedule to the Act of 1961 is amended by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph 17:

Qualification of Master of the High Court

"17.

No person shall be appointed to be Master of the High Court unless at the time of his or her appointment he or she -

(a) is a barrister or solicitor of not less than eight years' standing who is then actually practising, or

(b) has -

(i) been appointed under section 27(1A) of the Act of 1926 to be a deputy to execute the office of the Master of the High Court or, as the case may be, to execute such office concurrently with the Master of the High Court, and

(ii) been appointed and acted as such deputy for a period or periods totalling not less than three months.".