Contributions
882 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDMarriage and Religious WeddingsMy Lords, any purported marriage to a person under the age of 16 would be void and of no effect. A marriage of an individual between that age and the age of 18 would of course…30 Jun 2020HANSARDMarriage and Religious WeddingsMy Lords, the Law Commission is proposing to look at the matter of where and in what circumstances marriage should be celebrated. I understand that its consultation document will…30 Jun 2020HANSARDMarriage and Religious WeddingsThe major obstacle is the fundamental difference between the law of marriage in Scotland and that in England. The law of marriage in England and Wales, as determined since Lord…30 Jun 2020HANSARDMarriage and Religious WeddingsMy Lords, the position is that there is a very real social issue, but not a legal issue, with regard to this matter. It is not possible simply to say that we will acknowledge all…30 Jun 2020HANSARDMarriage and Religious WeddingsFirst of all, those who undergo only a sharia ceremony are not in marriage; that is the source of the problem we have to face here. That is more a social issue than a legal one,…30 Jun 2020HANSARDMarriage and Religious WeddingsMy Lords, the Law Commission review will consider the law on how and where marriages may take place in England and Wales. The terms of reference for that project have already been…30 Jun 2020HANSARDMarriage and Religious WeddingsMy Lords, there is no absolute means by which one could accurately measure that, so it is necessary to engage with these communities and to analyse feedback from them in order to…30 Jun 2020HANSARDPrison SentencesCustody is always a last resort, but courts should have the option of imposing short custodial sentences where appropriate. Community sentences also have a part to play in our…29 Jun 2020HANSARDPrison SentencesOn the basis of figures from research in 2016, it is suggested that if offenders received a prison sentence of up to 12 months, they were something like four percentage points…29 Jun 2020HANSARDPrison SentencesRehabilitation is of course an important aim, but it is not the sole aim in the context of criminal justice. At present there are no plans to end short-term prison sentences. Of…29 Jun 2020HANSARDPrison SentencesIt is very difficult to estimate the extent to which rehabilitation can be effective during a short prison sentence. Indeed, where someone is sentenced to a period of less than…29 Jun 2020HANSARDPrison SentencesWe do not consider that the pandemic is, in itself, a reason to re-examine the whole issue of short sentences, and we have no plans at present to review the ability of the…29 Jun 2020HANSARDPrison SentencesThe Court of Appeal recently set out in its judgement in the case of Regina v Christopher Manning that “Judges and magistrates … should keep in mind that the impact of a custodial…29 Jun 2020HANSARDPrison SentencesMy Lords, I am not in a position to judge the happiness or unhappiness of the Prison Service, whether in this context or any other. However, clearly, where the independent…29 Jun 2020HANSARDPrison SentencesThe noble Lord makes a very good point. Of adults sentenced to six months custody or less, about 84% have previously received a community order, and, indeed, a very large…29 Jun 2020HANSARDPrison SentencesWe consider that the independent judiciary should be in a position to impose the sentence they consider appropriate in an individual case. Releases under the early release scheme…29 Jun 2020HANSARDPrison SentencesWe are not satisfied, on the basis of available evidence, that replacing short custodial sentences with community sentences would prevent many, many crimes. As I indicated…29 Jun 2020HANSARDPrison SentencesWe consider that the judiciary is in a position to exercise its own independent judgment with regard to the imposition of short sentences, without the need for further guidance.29 Jun 2020HANSARDPrivate International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Bill [HL]My Lords, I am grateful to the House for Members’ engagement on the Bill throughout its passage. The amendments in this group are all consequential on the removal of the delegated…29 Jun 2020HANSARDPrivate International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Bill [HL]29 Jun 2020