Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Bill [Lords]

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

Amendment 2, in the schedule, pag...

I rise to speak in support of amendment 1 and the other amendments. We are being encouraged to wa...

Will the hon. Lady comment on whether the qualification provision will raise the bar significantl...

We are talking about two different things. The authorised persons are to have delegated to them m...

One reason we need proper scrutiny is the tendency towards rationalisation of the courts, which e...

My hon. Friend is spot on. That is one of our concerns about the Government’s proposals.

We...

We are talking about taxpayers’ money. Does the hon. Lady not accept that where such tasks are ro...

These people will be performing judicial tasks and functions and so will need to be appropriately...

It is my understanding that these are mainly interlocutory functions, not actual judgments or sig...

No, as we understand it, although it is envisaged that some of these tasks will be procedural, ot...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We discussed this in Committee. Interlocutory case management...

I thank my hon. Friend, a former shadow Justice Minister, for his intervention, and I take his po...

The hon. Lady referred to the independence of the judges. Is not the whole virtue of this proposa...

The procedure rule committee obviously has a place in our judicial system, and we accept that jud...

The hon. Lady is getting perilously close to suggesting that judges will do justice when they are...

We are not suggesting that judges will somehow not be independent. As I have said, I have the hig...

rose—

I have taken a number of interventions, and I will make some progress now. Otherwise we will be g...

I hope I shall make a better stab at my speech than I did of being a Teller earlier.

I rise...

My hon. Friend speaks with great expertise. What he is saying goes back to the point raised earli...

That is precisely right. It is inconceivable that any Lord Chief Justice would give his or her co...

I rise briefly to speak in favour of the amendments tabled by my Front-Bench colleagues. I believ...

It is an honour to take this Bill through its final stages. I should like to start by addressing ...

My hon. and learned Friend is making an important point. In 2010, this country faced its largest ...

My hon. Friend makes an important point that has a number of aspects. First, my Department had to...

Is this not also important in the context of the speech by Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd in the other p...

That is an important point. Our justice system is renowned throughout the world, thanks to its fl...

The Minister makes a good point about our duty to the taxpayer. Irrespective of this nation’s fin...

My hon. Friend and, indeed, Mr Deputy Speaker have campaigned hard about the closure of their loc...

My hon. and learned Friend is being most generous in giving way. Does she also recognise that mod...

That is an important point, because when we talk about what we have saved, we often mean what has...

I am grateful to my hon. and learned Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justic...

My hon. Friend makes an important point, and I also represent a rural area. Interestingly, some o...

Will the Minister give way on that point?

I will take one intervention and then address the amendments.

I am grateful. Can we read across from what my hon. and learned Friend says that she is making st...

My hon. Friend makes a second important point, which is that we cannot roll out and continue to u...

Further to the important point made by my hon. Friend the Member for North Dorset (Simon Hoare) a...

I mentioned earlier that 300,000 people have already started engaging with our services online. T...

Members on both sides of the House would agree that we have a world-renowned judiciary. In fact, ...

That is absolutely right. As a former barrister, I appeared regularly before experienced judges, ...

My hon. and learned Friend mentioned the fine work done by magistrates. Is there any way we could...

Magistrates undertake a significant number of roles, and they have vital responsibilities. In fac...

I declare an interest, as my wife is currently going through the process to become a magistrate. ...

I am pleased to hear that Mrs Cleverly is undertaking this important role. My hon. Friend is righ...

rose—

A short intervention.

Everything I do is short, Mr Deputy Speaker.

We are all, thank God, living longer. At some ...

Order. We need to move on now. I was very generous before, but magistrates have absolutely nothin...

I am happy to come on to the three reasons why amendments 2 to 4 cannot be accepted. First, the a...

There are many people in the Chamber with huge legal expertise. All I can claim is spending my ye...

My hon. Friend makes an important point. Not only is it important to ensure that the qualificatio...

The Minister is outlining well the position under the current regulations. Does she agree, theref...

That is the heart of the Government’s position, and it takes me neatly on to my second point. The...

This is an important point. Will my hon. and learned Friend come on to address not only the human...

Yes, those are important points. A large number of people already carry out these important roles...

Progressive politicians on both sides of the House believe in labour market progression; they bel...

That is an important point. Some people are already carrying out these functions and doing them w...

My hon. and learned Friend will know, and perhaps she will confirm, that the way this works in pr...

Order. Minister, come on. And you have had three speeches already, Bob, you don’t need to stretch...

My hon. Friend, the Chair of the Select Committee, was making an important point. The rule commit...

Order. Some might think it is very important—[Interruption.] Order. Would the Minister like to si...

I hope that more will put in to speak on this important subject. I wish to pick up on what my hon...

I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Amendme...

I have now to announce the result of the deferred Division on the question relating to the Indepe...

Consideration completed. I will now suspend the House for no more than 5 minutes in order to make...

I can now inform the House that I have completed certification of the Bill, as required by the St...

indicated assent.

The House forthwith resolved itself into the Legislative Grand Committee ...

I beg to move, That the Committee sit in private.

I am afraid I cannot accept that motion because the hon. Gentleman is not a member of the Committ...

On a point of order, Dame Rosie. I am grateful for your indulgence. Can you clarify that the reas...

The point is that the Legislative Grand Committee represents Members of Parliament from England a...

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Before we return from the Legislative Grand Committee,...

I am afraid that the hon. Gentleman has rather missed his chance.

I stood to catch your eye.

No, I am afraid you did not. I am very sorry.

Third Reading

3.54 pm

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.

This is a small and technical Bill...

I, too, thank all hon. Members who have participated in the proceedings on the Bill today and thr...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech, and I agree with everything he has said. There is one...

My right hon. Friend is a distinguished parliamentarian and, as ever, makes a really important po...

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Bradford East (Imran Hussain). We have had a const...

I want to make it absolutely clear that—as I am sure the hon. Gentleman, who is Chair of the Just...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for what he has said, and I entirely accept the intentions behind it. ...

Let me begin by saying that it was indeed a pleasure to serve on the Bill Committee, not least be...

I spoke on Second Reading and pointed out the extent to which the courts were undergoing reform. ...

I commend my hon. Friend the Member for Henley (John Howell) on his excellent speech.

It wa...