Legal Services Bill [HL]

I strongly support almost everything that has been said. I am sure that it is right that the concurrence of the Lord Chief Justice be required, for exactly the reasons given by the noble Lord, Lord Neill of Bladen. I also agree with the noble Viscount, Lord Bledisloe, that it is not a question of one thing or the other; these amendments tie in together and there is strength in that. A triangle is much stronger than a single limb. We need at least a triangle, or all the strength you can get, to maintain a free society. We are discussing the concurrence of the Lord Chief Justice, but I hope that we will return to and accept the position of the Lord Chancellor within the constitution. I question what the noble Lord, Lord Neill of Bladen, said only in the sense that I think he was using irony during a portion of his speech, and I learnt when I was quite young in politics that irony is no good because the ironic point is missed. I do not want to put my next point too strongly, but it is difficult not to. The past few years have seen some absolutely lamentable criticism of the judiciary by those in high ministerial office, which ought never, ever to have taken place, and which fortunately has been slapped down recently by the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor. But it did happen, and it is very important to fight against it. As the noble Lord, Lord Thomas of Gresford, pointed out, a legal profession that will support the judiciary in its independence and a free press that will report what is argued in court so that the whole country can read it are bulwarks of our free society. I am sure that the noble Baroness and the Government agree in principle with all those sentiments. I hope that they will help us to reflect them in the proper construction of this Bill.