Clause 1 - Guarantee of continued judicial independence
Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill
12:15 pm
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough, Conservative)
I have some sympathy with the remarks of the hon. Member for Newry and Armagh, but I wish to make two points; for once, I will be brief.
First, if the wording is to come into the Bill at all, it would do better at clause 20(1), which states:
''Every person appointed to an office specified in Schedule 6 must, before undertaking any functions of the office,''
either take the oath or make the affirmation. Would not the hon. Gentleman's wording do better if it were put between the words ''must'' and ''before'' in line 12? It would say that every person appointed to an office specified in schedule 6 must
''decide matters before them impartially''—
and so on—
''before undertaking any functions.''
My second and more substantive point is that the amendment would not do any more than the proposed form of judicial oath or affirmation. All that the hon.
Gentleman wants is in clause 20(2) or (3). My hon. Friend the Member for Reigate and I have plenty to say about the new form of oath and the absence of an oath of allegiance, but that is a separate matter. The oath proposed by the Government at clause 20(2) adequately deals with the hon. Gentleman's concern, and it does so in a more concise form.