Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The Courts and Tribunals Bill aims to restrict trial by jury, which has raised concerns among the legal profession and opposition.
Whether he plans to proceed with the legislative proposals in the Courts and Tribunals Bill to restrict trial by jury.
Last week, the Leader of the House announced that the Courts and Tribunals Bill will return to this House on 13 October. I have been clear that my priority is to reduce the Crown court waiting list and enable victims to have their day in court more quickly. I look forward to working with experts in this House and beyond to deliver that.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific legislative proposals and restrictions on trial by jury
Looking Forward To Working With Experts
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
Reports suggest the Government is considering an amendment to the Courts and Tribunals Bill that would give judges the power to decide if defendants face a jury or a single judge, leading to potential satellite litigation and delays.
There are reports that the Government are considering tabling an amendment to the Courts and Tribunals Bill so that, in either-way offences, a judge will decide whether a defendant faces a jury or is heard by a single judge. The legal profession has highlighted that this will lead to satellite litigation, with repeated appeals, and slow down the legal process. Will the Government listen to the legal profession, or will they plough on regardless?
I would always caution the hon. Gentleman about believing reports. When there are things to be said, they will be said from the Dispatch Box. I think he would expect that I, as the new Lord Chancellor, and my right hon. Friend the new Prime Minister will look at every aspect of business in the Ministry of Justice to ensure that it is delivering for victims and for the public at large. The hon. Gentleman knows the legislation is coming back, and I look forward to discussing it in its fullness when it does.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific amendment and legal profession's concerns
Cautioning About Believing Reports
Looking Forward To Discussing
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
Upon taking office, the Prime Minister promised to find ways of not reducing access to jury trial, citing it as a linchpin of a fair society. The Courts and Tribunals Bill is expected to return to the House on 13 October.
Upon taking office, the Prime Minister promised to find ways of not reducing access to jury trial. He said that jury trials are a linchpin of a fair society. Now that we know the Courts and Tribunals Bill will return to the House on 13 October, can the Justice Secretary guarantee that the Bill will not reduce access to jury trials at all?
The shadow Secretary of State seeks to run ahead of the process that is going on at the moment. It is very important that Parliament has the opportunity to consider this really important legislation in the spirit that he talks about, and we have now reached Second Reading. I have been in this place for nine years, and legislation very rarely looks the same at the beginning of the process as it does at the end. My offer to him, and indeed to colleagues from across the House, is to engage in the conversation. If they have concerns and wish to see things changed, let us have that conversation.
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Assessment & feedback
Guarantee that the Bill will not reduce access to jury trials
Running Ahead Of The Process
Engaging In Conversation
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
The Justice Secretary did not rule out reducing access to jury trials, despite the Prime Minister's promise not to do so. This issue is significant and dates back to Magna Carta.
I asked the Justice Secretary to rule out reducing access to jury trials, and the House will have noticed that he did not do that. We are not talking about something insignificant; we are talking about an ancient English right dating back to Magna Carta. Once again, the Justice Secretary has made much of his desire to work together constructively—although I have not seen much of it in our correspondence—so will he publish the full details of the new plan now, or does he still not know what it is?
This is interesting: the Opposition do not know how to deal with either the new Prime Minister or the new Government. When we talk about wanting to improve things in the collective interest of the country, we mean it. The hon. Gentleman offers to be my correspondence secretary, but I do not think that is quite the answer.
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Assessment & feedback
Publishing the full details of the new plan
Not Knowing How To Deal With The New Government
Being Offered To Be Correspondence Secretary
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
Amnesty International has questioned the Government's human rights assessment of the Courts and Tribunals Bill, describing the proposals as a dilution of the quality of justice, particularly in relation to efforts to combat racial discrimination.
The Lord Chancellor mentioned working with experts in his previous answer. Amnesty International has recently questioned the Government's human rights assessment of the Courts and Tribunals Bill, describing the proposals as a dilution of the quality of justice, particularly in relation to efforts to combat racial discrimination. Can the Secretary of State confirm that those concerns are being heard by the Prime Minister while he considers the future of the Bill, and can he guarantee that hon. Members from across the House and experts in the sector will have adequate time to scrutinise the Government's amendments before we are asked to debate it on the second day back after recess?
I assure the hon. Lady that we will consider all evidence that is submitted, and certainly evidence submitted by those experts who I talked about in my opening answer. I am afraid that we cannot quite accept the hon. Lady's characterisation. We will look at these things very closely and have that interaction through ordinary parliamentary processes and beyond, because I think we have a shared interest in this. Yes, it behoves us to make important changes to the system to help address immediate capacity challenges—as my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Finchley and Golders Green (Sarah Sackman) has done—but it also behoves us to look at longer-term structural changes. As I say, I look forward to working with colleagues on that.
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Assessment & feedback
Guarantee that hon. Members and experts will have adequate time to scrutinise the amendments
Considering All Evidence
Looking At Things Very Closely
Response accuracy