24.—(1) Notwithstanding any rule of law or practice, and notwithstanding anything contained in section 2 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1865, the procedure at a trial on indictment as to the closing speeches for the prosecution and for the defence shall be as follows:

(a) the prosecution shall have the right to a closing speech in all cases except where the accused is not represented by counsel or a solicitor and does not call any witness (other than a witness to character only), and the defence shall have the right to a closing speech in all cases, and

(b) the closing speech for the defence shall be made after that for the prosecution.

(2) Section 3 of the Criminal Justice (Evidence) Act, 1924, is hereby repealed.