Contributions
1,222 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)I beg to move, That the debate be now adjourned. We have had some discussion in private, and I think it will be helpful, while not revealing what was said in private, to…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)I want to pick up on the point made by the hon. Member for Amber Valley. She has engaged sincerely throughout this debate, so I do not think her comment was a deliberate. We are…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)Absolutely, and there is not even anything in the Bill about proportionality. There is nothing. If someone is charged with one of the offences and the trial will be complex and…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)On a point of order, Ms Butler. I am being reasonable. On the matters on which the Minister said she would write to us—the three offences and whether there will be amendment in…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)It is another example of what we have talked about: the move away from what we would consider to be natural justice. The scenario the hon. Member points to is not bizarre; there…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)I beg to move amendment 45, in clause 4, page 10, line 16, leave out “one or more of the offences is an offence” and insert “all of the offences are”. This amendment would limit…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)The hon. Lady is absolutely right. The Minister is always keen to draw lessons from other jurisdictions, and as I said we have a clear lesson from another jurisdiction that is…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)I rise to speak in support of Opposition amendment 46, which is in my name, as we debate elements of the Government’s proposals to remove jury trials and make use of the new Crown…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)I am in danger of not knowing my figures, but I think the impact assessment suggests that 25% of cases in the list of offences will be included, so I am not sure whether it is…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)indicated assent .21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)Thank you, Ms Jardine, for taking the Chair as we continue this later sitting. Before we suspended, we were debating my amendment 53 to clause 6 in relation to the use of the…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)I beg to move amendment 47, in clause 4, page 11, line 1, leave out from “is” to end of line 2, and insert “a right of appeal against a decision to make an order under this…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)rose —21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)Just so the Committee is clear exactly what I said and what the Minister said in return, it was in response to an intervention from the hon. Member for Birmingham Erdington, who…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)To reiterate, as in clause 3, we risk creating an unfair dual standard for defendants. The Government accept that such defendants should have rights to a jury trial, but they will…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)I beg to move amendment 49, in clause 4, page 13, line 30, leave out “trial beginning on or” and insert “cases whose first hearing in the magistrates’ court takes place”. This…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)The only point I would add is that, as the Minister has accepted, this is a relatively small number of cases, so the test of what is justifiable is actually disproportionately…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight East for his remarks. I will paint a scenario for the Minister and ask whether she thinks it is one she will end up regretting…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)I oppose clause 6, which, as we have discussed, grants the Lord Chancellor the power to increase the maximum sentencing limit in magistrates courts from the current 12 months to…21 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Eighth sitting)If the schedule said complex and lengthy fraud cases, then the Minister might be able to argue that it is constrained, but the schedule is just “Trial on indictment without a…21 Apr 2026