Contributions
882 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDRule of Law: Law OfficersMy Lords, the duty of the law officers is to give the Government full and frank legal advice, to advise and to stipulate adherence to the rule of law. Our advice is confidential,…15 Sept 2020HANSARDRule of Law: Law OfficersMy Lords, I entirely concur with the observations of my noble friend. As I indicated before, it is one thing for the Executive to determine an issue at the level of international…15 Sept 2020HANSARDRule of Law: Law OfficersMy Lords, I would offer absolute reassurance with respect to the points that have been raised. First, there seems to be a common misconception that somehow we could unilaterally…15 Sept 2020HANSARDRule of Law: Law OfficersMy Lords, I sought to explain this morning to the Security and Justice Sub-Committee the position that I adopt with respect to this matter, and why I consider that the provisions…15 Sept 2020HANSARDRape: Prosecutions and ConvictionsMy Lords, I am not certain that such data is available, but I will make inquiries to see whether it is or whether it can be collected, in a reasonable fashion. I will advise the…14 Sept 2020HANSARDRape: Prosecutions and ConvictionsMy Lords, we are conscious of the disparity between the number of reported cases of rape and completed prosecutions. As the noble Baroness observed, the number of completed…14 Sept 2020HANSARDRape: Prosecutions and ConvictionsMy Lords, there is ongoing work to improve the handling of these sensitive cases and to narrow the disparity between offences reported and cases going to court. In July, the CPS…14 Sept 2020HANSARDRape: Prosecutions and ConvictionsMy Lords, it is of course important to see proper co-ordination between the police and the CPS to address these issues. The CPS is planning to consult on rape legal guidance, and…14 Sept 2020HANSARDRape: Prosecutions and ConvictionsMy Lords, the issue of engaging with juries about how they arrived at their verdicts is complex and difficult. To set a precedent there would be a material step. However, we…14 Sept 2020HANSARDRape: Prosecutions and ConvictionsMy Lords, there has been no material change to the CPS’s approach. The evidential stage of the code test remains as it was, despite some suggestions to the contrary. Indeed, the…14 Sept 2020HANSARDRape: Prosecutions and ConvictionsMy Lords, wrongly and deliberately accusing someone of a sexual offence is a very serious matter and should be treated as such by criminal law. Clearly, the impact on those…14 Sept 2020HANSARDRape: Prosecutions and ConvictionsMy Lords, these are tragic cases. They are particularly difficult to investigate when they are historic. However, we remain determined to pursue all offenders, no matter how…14 Sept 2020HANSARDRule of LawMy Lords, the Government have not proposed any breach of UK law. On occasions, tensions can arise between our domestic obligations and our international commitments and we will…10 Sept 2020HANSARDRule of LawMy Lords, I think the noble and learned Lord broke up slightly when he was asking his second question, but I certainly understood the drift of his remarks.10 Sept 2020HANSARDRule of LawI thank the noble and learned Lord. My Lords, from time to time, as I indicated, tensions occur between our domestic legal obligations and our position with regard to…10 Sept 2020HANSARDRule of LawMy Lords, first of all, the Minister presenting this Bill has given a certificate of compatibility pursuant to the Human Rights Act; that has been done. As regards the further…10 Sept 2020HANSARDRule of LawAs I previously indicated, my Lords, there are exceptional circumstances that arise, from time to time, when we find ourselves with a tension between our domestic legal regime and…10 Sept 2020HANSARDRule of LawMy Lords, we are not showing scant regard for our treaty obligations. We are endeavouring to allow for a contingency that may arise very soon, which will require us to ensure that…10 Sept 2020HANSARDRule of LawI do not accept that. This is not a case of the Executive or Ministers seeking to act contrary to the will of Parliament. This is a case in which Ministers have brought…10 Sept 2020HANSARDRule of LawThe situation outlined by the noble Lord does not reflect that which exists in the context of a potential tension between our domestic legal obligations to Northern Ireland and…10 Sept 2020