5Notwithstanding anything herein contained, it shall nevertheless be competent, in any case in which no such application has been made and disposed of as hereinbefore provided for, for the judge appointed to preside at the trial of the case, at any stage prior to the empanelling of the jury to make an order, if in his discretion he shall think proper so to do, that the jury for trial of the case shall be composed of men only or of women only, subject always to the condition that no such order shall be made or take effect unless there are a sufficient number of men or women (as the case may be) on the assize list and present and available to form a jury of the composition contemplated.