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747 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)While I am very proud of our legal system, I do not necessarily take the view that ours is best and we cannot learn from other systems. Indeed, some of the places that we have…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)Does the hon. Gentleman accept that the very same sentence that he is quoting, which admits the fact that there is a degree of uncertainty—we are, of course, looking at a…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)Of course, judges sitting alone do sentence. I understand the point the hon. Member is making in relation to the Crown court bench division, but it is important that my mum,…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)Does the shadow Minister recognise that, in the IFG’s report, one of the central insights was that the key drag on court productivity was workforce shortages? We are making that…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)I do not want to interrupt the hon. Gentleman because he is making important points, but the point was well made a moment ago that in line-by-line scrutiny the intent is to go…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Third sitting)I was coming to that point, but as the hon. Member has raised it, I will address it now. First, I put it on record that any suggestion that the Ministry of Justice or I have…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)But does the shadow Minister accept that these things take time? His party is a great believer in the force of the market, and the market here has decided that it wants to go and…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)On that specific point about appeals, a tiny fraction of cases—I do not have the figure in front of me, but I am happy to share it later—are appeals to the Crown court. The hon.…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the 1% to 2% refers to the time savings achieved by the Crown court bench division? The IFG recognised that the totality of the package achieved…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)No, I will not accept that it is inferior. I maintain the position that it is proportionate to the severity of the cases currently dealt with in the magistrates court. When asked…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)I have never sought to sugar-coat the situation in our courts. Does the hon. Member think that one of the reasons why magistrates courts are struggling in parts of the country is…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)Will the shadow Minister give way?14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)Does the shadow Minister accept, though, that the legislation as drafted contains a number of guardrails? They include the provision of reasons that will need to be given by a…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)I have to make a little progress. Let me turn to the detail of clause 1. Part of its function is to ensure consistency across the statute book. To ensure consistency in that way,…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Third sitting)Let me just finish the point on clause 1, if I may. As I was saying in answer to a colleague’s question, the approach here on clause 1 and the approach to these structural reforms…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Third sitting)I will make a little progress. As I have said, where a magistrates court has determined that an offence is suitable for summary trial there, clause 1 removes the ability of a…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Third sitting)What clause 1 does is remove the ability of a defendant to choose where they are tried, which, at the moment, they have a right to insist on. So we have—14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)We have an obligation to guarantee a fair trial. I believe that wherever cases are heard in this system, they will be heard fairly. It will be a different mode of trial, but it…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)We do not necessarily accept that that is why. There may be all sorts of reasons, which need to be unpacked, and that is the kind of thing I hope will be enriched by a statutory…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCourts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)Does the hon. Gentleman recognise that Sir Brian, in his report, gave scope for the Government to go further than his recommendation, should we need to? Can he comment on why no…14 Apr 2026