Clause 3 - Duty of Commission to secure judiciary reflective of the community
Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill [Lords]
3:15 pm
Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke, Independent Conservative)
I imagine that it was predictable that amendment No. 24 would give rise to a recitation of firmly held positions. That does not, of course, detract from the sincerity of the views held. I should like to turn briefly to the comments of the hon. Member for South Down, for whom I have more respect and regard than he sometimes appears to credit. I wish he would convey to us the realisation that no single political party or group of politicians in Northern Ireland has a monopoly of concern for healing historical wounds and building a sound, healthy society.
My academic debate with him focuses on my belief that equality of opportunity for judicial appointments already exists. The danger of the line that the Government are following is converting that equality of opportunity into equality of outcome, with an entirely different outcome from what they would like. The Minister talks of the importance of creating public confidence. My fear is that the affirmative action that the Bill promotes will achieve exactly the opposite and undermine, not promote, confidence in the judiciary.
The debate has been quite thorough. I do not suppose that many of us are entirely happy with how it has gone. Although I will not insist on the amendment,
I should point out to the Minister that it addresses issues to which we may wish to return on Report. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 3 ordered to stand part of the Bill.