Criminal Law (Northern Ireland)

Part of Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Bill – in the House of Commons at 3:14 pm on 5 July 2017.

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Photo of Andrew Murrison Andrew Murrison Conservative, South West Wiltshire 3:14, 5 July 2017

What a delight it is to see you in the Chair, Madam Deputy Speaker. I also congratulate the Minister; it is good to see her in the Chamber.

I was very interested in the comments of Deidre Brock. We clearly need to be concerned about whether this arrangement risks verdicts being less safe than would be the case under the system that we enjoy throughout the rest of the United Kingdom. The hon. Lady has presumably seen table 5 in the consultation response. That interesting table shows quite clearly that the chances of acquittal are higher under a non-jury system. What I am slightly worried about, and this touches on the remarks made by my hon. Friend Mr Robertson, the Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee