Clause 1
Fraud (Trials without a Jury) Bill
11:45 am
Mike O'Brien (Solicitor General, Law Officers' Department; North Warwickshire, Labour)
I was not privy to his personal thoughts on the matter, but the intention of the Government was that we take the matter forward by way of order, and I assume that that was the Home Secretary’s intention at that stage.
During the year, we brought an order before the House, which again, by a significant majority, expressed forcefully the view that it wanted to see progress in dealing with the problem of complex and serious fraud trials. It therefore passed the order. It became clear, however, that the combined votes of the Opposition in the other place were likely to frustrate the passage of that order. In those circumstances, the Government took the view that the better way of proceeding was by way of primary legislation, and that is why we have brought the Bill before the House.