Contributions
475 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPublic Order BillSo there is agreement that a definition is needed because of the nature of the crime and the consequences that follow from it. The committee noted that a definition was given in…30 Jan 2023HANSARDPublic Order BillThese are the words we are dealing with. “Significant” is the word in the Amendment 1 and it is defining “serious disruption”, but we are trying to find words that define what we…30 Jan 2023HANSARDPublic Order BillI did stress that the word “more” is important. I agree that the word “minor” raises issues, but the “more” point is crucial to an understanding of my formula.30 Jan 2023HANSARDPublic Order BillI would like to speak next because my amendments have been mentioned and it is probably best that I explain what they are. I stress that the amendments under discussion are my…30 Jan 2023HANSARDPublic Order BillI was looking to identify the threshold at which one reaches the point where, on my approach, one moves beyond a minor disturbance to something that becomes significant. That is…30 Jan 2023HANSARDNational Security BillI wonder if I may add a thought. One of the words that strike me in Clause 83(5) is “must”. If I were a judge at first instance, I would have to explain my decision, so I would…18 Jan 2023HANSARDScotland Act 1998: Section 35 PowerMy Lords, one of the points that has been made clear by the First Minister is that she wants to take this issue to court. That is a waste of public money, and it is certainly a…18 Jan 2023HANSARDNational Security BillWould the Minister consider the wording in Clause 83(4)(a) that says there “need not be a causal connection”? You can find that there is a connection, but it need not be a causal…18 Jan 2023HANSARDNational Security BillI am not sure whether the Minister has picked up my point about arbitration. I am very sorry that I did not put down an amendment to direct attention to this, but it is quite an…16 Jan 2023HANSARDNational Security BillMy Lords, perhaps I could just add a footnote to what the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, said—not along the lines that this paragraph of the schedule should be withdrawn but to…16 Jan 2023HANSARDNational Security BillMy Lords, I think we need to remind ourselves that the United Kingdom is a party to the torture convention. The amendment in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Purvis of Tweed,…11 Jan 2023HANSARDNational Security BillMy Lords, I hesitate to intervene in a debate after speakers who know a great deal more about this subject than I do, but I wonder why “treason” has to go into the heading of this…21 Dec 2022HANSARDNational Security BillThe problem is—I speak as a former prosecutor—that if you are facing a jury with a charge that has “treason” on it, that elevates the temperature of the debate. It is much easier…21 Dec 2022HANSARDTributesMy Lords, it is a privilege for me, on behalf of the Convenor, who very much wishes that he could be here, to associate myself and these Benches with the very well-earned tributes…20 Dec 2022HANSARDNational Security BillMy Lords, there is an important principle at heart here. While I appreciate the description of the zone as grey, the problem is that, when you are criminalising conduct,…19 Dec 2022HANSARDNational Security BillMy Lords, I venture a few thoughts on this phraseology. The crucial question is: how much would the prosecutor have to prove about the state of knowledge of the defendant? In some…19 Dec 2022HANSARDNational Security BillI want to make it quite clear that, for the reason that was expressed earlier, I do not object to the idea of objectivity here, because it is sometimes extremely difficult to…19 Dec 2022HANSARDPublic Order BillMy Lords, if I had to choose between the two amendments, I would choose Amendment 127A. It is quite important to understand why it is the better version. It is because, as the…13 Dec 2022HANSARDHigher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill07 Dec 2022HANSARDHigher Education (Freedom of Speech) BillI will pause for a moment to allow noble Lords to leave the Chamber. My Lords, there are two amendments in this group to which I will speak, and two government amendments in the…07 Dec 2022