Contributions
605 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUncollected Financial PenaltiesMy Lords, as the noble Lord, Lord Hogan-Howe, said, many financial penalties go uncollected. Does the noble Lord agree that we are, in respect of such offenders, imposing far too…13 May 2025HANSARDSentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) BillMy Lords, I echo the eloquent tributes to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Etherton, from the noble and learned Lords, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, Lord Hope of Craighead and Lord…07 May 2025HANSARDCriminal Cases Review CommissionMy Lords, Andrew Malkinson served 17 years for a rape he did not commit. The CCRC is supposed to be the last hope for victims of miscarriages of justice; a safety net to ensure…07 May 2025HANSARDLegal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Legal Aid: Domestic Abuse) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2025My Lords, I thank the Minister for his comprehensive introduction to this order. It has been extremely helpful to hear the way in which he set it out. Broadly, we support the…06 May 2025HANSARDWhiplash Injury (Amendment) Regulations 2025My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for his careful and comprehensive introduction to this statutory instrument. Its central point is to update the 2021 level of damages,…06 May 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesMy Lords, the Lord Chancellor maintains that this Statement raises issues of principle, that it is about policy being for Parliament and not for judges, and that the Sentencing…03 Apr 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesMy Lords, we are all committed to equal treatment, but there is a mass of evidence, including the Lammy review, that ethnic minority defendants are far more likely to be sent to…02 Apr 2025HANSARDCrown Court Criminal Case BacklogMy Lords, this has been a wide-ranging and impressive debate, and I thank the noble Lord, Lord Carlile, for securing it and for the comprehensive and persuasive way in which he…20 Mar 2025HANSARDSentencing Council GuidelinesMy Lords, the Lord Chancellor was reportedly incandescent that the new guideline appeared to suggest that lighter sentences should be imposed on members of ethnic minorities. I…19 Mar 2025HANSARDCivil Proceedings and Magistrates’ Courts Fees (Amendment) Order 2025My Lords, once again I am grateful to the Minister for his introduction to this instrument. It is difficult to say much about this amendment order in that, as he pointed out, it…17 Mar 2025HANSARDOnline Procedure Rules (Specified Proceedings) Regulations 2025My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for his helpful introduction to these proposed regulations. We on these Benches support the introduction of digital procedures, certainly…17 Mar 2025HANSARDCourts and Tribunals: Sitting DaysMy Lords, the Statement describes the Government’s inheritance from the last Administration on Crown Court capacity as little short of disgraceful. It was worse than that: it was…11 Mar 2025HANSARDAsylum Seekers: Legal AidMy Lords, most research suggests that about 60% of eligible asylum seekers cannot find a legal aid lawyer. The announced increase in legal aid rates should help but will not deal…23 Jan 2025HANSARDRules-based International OrderMy Lords, I too am grateful to my noble friend Lady Northover for securing this excellent debate, and for her comprehensive and sensitive tour d’horizon in her opening speech.…16 Jan 2025HANSARDCourts: BacklogsMy Lords, will this Government distance themselves from the Conservatives, who blamed the backlogs on Covid and on criminal barristers, who had no option but to strike to secure…15 Jan 2025HANSARDHome Detention Curfew and Requisite and Minimum Custodial Periods (Amendment) Order 2024My Lords, we support the principle of this order and I thank the noble Lord, Lord Ponsonby, for his helpful introduction and explanation of it. He acknowledged, indeed asserted,…10 Dec 2024HANSARDRule of LawMy Lords, this has been a very important debate on the rule of law. We have been very fortunate to be able to have it, and it has been a great credit to this House. It has also…26 Nov 2024HANSARDJudicial Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2024My Lords, first, I congratulate the noble Lord on his concise and detailed opening on a complicated set of regulations. I note that the regulations were introduced by the last…11 Nov 2024HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, I had the pleasure of welcoming the noble Lord, Lord Timpson, during the discussion on the prison Statement much earlier today, and I now add my congratulations to him…24 Jul 2024HANSARDPrison CapacityMy Lords, we too welcome the Minister to his new role, and we look forward to his official maiden speech later today with enthusiasm, not least because we have for a number of…24 Jul 2024