Contributions
882 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSharia Law: MarriagesMy Lords, one is clearly concerned where equality of treatment is not available as it should be under our law, but I repeat a point that I made on a previous occasion, albeit the…23 Oct 2019HANSARDSharia Law: MarriagesMy Lords, we do not recognise sharia courts and we do not recognise sharia law. We recognise the law of England and Wales, and it is that to which we must look for protection of…23 Oct 2019HANSARDSharia Law: MarriagesMy Lords, forced marriage is a criminal offence in this country and has been since 2014. Indeed, in 2017 we introduced lifelong anonymity for the victims of forced marriage to…23 Oct 2019HANSARDSharia Law: MarriagesMy Lords, we do not recognise sharia courts in this country; we do not recognise sharia law in this country. It is necessary that people carry through their relationships in…23 Oct 2019HANSARDSharia Law: MarriagesMy Lords, I fully understand the concern about this issue in relation to marriage law. We do not agree with the recommendations in the sharia review. The Council of Europe’s view…23 Oct 2019HANSARDSharia Law: MarriagesMy Lords, I entirely concur with the observations of my noble friend. There is a very real need for education and information in this area. If we can achieve that, we can take…23 Oct 2019HANSARDSharia Law: MarriagesMy Lords, the review recommended creating an offence that would apply to celebrants of religious marriages that do not confer legal rights. We continue to explore across…23 Oct 2019HANSARDCrime: RapeMy Lords, we are committed to ensuring that the law is fit for purpose and that the offence of rape is well understood. The decline in the number of rape cases reaching court is a…22 Oct 2019HANSARDCrime: RapeMy Lords, we recognise the significant importance of support for those who make complaints of all sexual offences, and rape in particular. It is necessary to look at taking…22 Oct 2019HANSARDCrime: RapeMy Lords, the issue of consent is clearly a challenging matter. We consider that the present law encompassed within Section 74 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 is fit for purpose.…22 Oct 2019HANSARDCrime: RapeMy Lords, a number of support groups are available to deal with the sorts of cases that the noble Baroness has outlined. It is a particularly insidious form of sexual crime and…22 Oct 2019HANSARDCrime: RapeMy Lords, of course we have taken forward matters regarding sexual relationships with schools and with young people. It is important that they should be educated in these areas; I…22 Oct 2019HANSARDCrime: RapeMy Lords, I fear that the drop in the number of rape cases being referred to trial is even greater than the noble Lord suggests. Current figures indicate that approximately half…22 Oct 2019HANSARDCrime: RapeMy Lords, I can understand the noble Baroness’s concern about this issue. That is why we are taking forward a quite urgent cross-government review in relation to rape. Where we…22 Oct 2019HANSARDQueen’s SpeechMy Lords, it is a privilege to open this day of debate on Her Majesty’s most gracious Speech. The focus of today’s debate is home affairs, justice, constitutional affairs,…21 Oct 2019HANSARDBailiff ReformsMy Lords, in a Statement on 22 July, the Government set out their initial response to the call for evidence on the enforcement agent reforms. We intend to make body-worn cameras…17 Oct 2019HANSARDBailiff ReformsThe Government have established a fairness group, which is working with the advice sector to implement a joint programme of work to examine practices in the context of, for…17 Oct 2019HANSARDBailiff ReformsMy Lords, we appreciate the work done by the Justice Committee, which was published in April 2018, and have taken up some of its recommendations already. There are discrepancies…17 Oct 2019HANSARDBailiff ReformsMy Lords, there are regulations in place and there are those—a minority—who do not comply with those regulations. The position at present is that there are about 2,500 civil…17 Oct 2019HANSARDBailiff ReformsIt would be premature to commit on a matter still under consideration by the ministry. We have proposed as a manifesto commitment to introduce the breathing space scheme, which…17 Oct 2019