Contributions
23 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDAge of Criminal ResponsibilityMy Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Meston, indicated that Scotland raised the age to 12 and the noble Lord, Lord Marks, referred to the age of criminal responsibility in most of…21 Jan 2026HANSARDMotorway Speed CamerasMy Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Young of Cookham, has identified some of the financial costs that might flow from being wrongly picked up for speeding, and it is good to hear that…21 Jan 2026HANSARDSentencing BillMy Lords, your Lordships may recollect that, in Committee, I supported an amendment which would have removed Clause 18 from the Bill altogether. While also suggesting that Clause…06 Jan 2026HANSARDSentencing BillMy Lords, I was not intending to intervene at all in this group, but could I just try to inject an element of reality into Amendment 86A, which the noble Lord, Lord Jackson,…01 Dec 2025HANSARDSentencing BillMy Lords, perhaps rather surprisingly, I find myself in agreement with the noble Lord, Lord Jackson, in seeking to remove Clause 18—but for polar opposite reasons. The noble Lord…01 Dec 2025HANSARDSentencing Bill01 Dec 2025HANSARDSentencing BillI record, if I may, my thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Lemos, and to the Minister, in the broader conduct of this Bill, for offering to continue discussions. We have had useful…01 Dec 2025HANSARDSentencing BillMy Lords, I start by declaring some interests. I was on the independent panel chaired by David Gauke which produced a preliminary short review in February, History and Trends in…12 Nov 2025HANSARDInterpreting Services in the Courts (Public Services Committee Report)My Lords, I start by thanking the committee en bloc for the important work that it has done in looking at this subject which, as has already been observed, is something of a…09 Sept 2025HANSARDSentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) BillMy Lords, I first associate myself with the words of those who spoke in tribute to Lord Justice William Davis. News of his death on Saturday morning reached his fellow judges, and…10 Jun 2025HANSARDSentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) BillMy Lords, I am extremely grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for that suggestion. I hope not to detain the Committee for long. I declare some interests at the outset.…19 May 2025HANSARDSentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) BillMy Lords, I shall make one or two observations on this group. I echo what the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, said, but, before anyone considers this additional process, it is…19 May 2025HANSARDCrown Court Criminal Case BacklogMy Lords, I join others in congratulating the noble Baroness, Lady Longfield, on her instructive maiden speech. The outstanding case load in the Crown Court has reached a level…20 Mar 2025HANSARDCourts: BacklogsMy Lords, the current outstanding backlog in the Crown Court is a little over 73,000; it was only 40,000 when Covid struck. The Minister has already indicated that the volume of…15 Jan 2025HANSARDPost Office: Capture SystemMy Lords, as my name has been mentioned on two occasions already, it is perhaps apt that I should say something. I yield to no one in my admiration for the work that the noble…12 Dec 2024HANSARDLegal Aid: Social Welfare and Family LawThe noble and learned Baroness, Lady Butler-Sloss, and the noble Lord, Lord Bach, have referred to the cost that falls on the courts as a result of the removal of legal aid for…18 Nov 2024HANSARDPrison CapacitiesMy Lords, I add two points to those already made. First, there is much talk of prison capacity, but it is important to appreciate the difference between capacity in the sense of…12 Sept 2024HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, I add my welcome to the noble Lords now occupying the Government Front Bench, and in particular congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Timpson, on his maiden speech. We last…24 Jul 2024HANSARDPost Office (Horizon System) Offences BillMy Lords, the wrongful conviction of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses as a result of prosecutorial misbehaviour has caused personal harm—indeed, tragedy—and a national…13 May 2024HANSARDVictims and Prisoners Bill26 Feb 2024