Clause 62
Counter-Terrorism Bill
5:00 pm
David Heath (Somerton and Frome, Liberal Democrat)
I understand entirely what the Minister is saying, but he has created a bit of a conundrum here. If the commencement is at the point of Royal Assent, and the proceedings cannot take place without rules of court, the Lord Chancellor is under a duty that applies before consent is given to the Act. That is a very odd thing to put into legislation; a duty that must have been fulfilled before the Bill is an Act in order to apply the duty to the Lord Chancellor. Does the Minster accept that that is a slightly topsy-turvy, Humpty-Dumpty way of making a decision?