Part of Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 4:45 pm on 23 October 2007.
Alun Michael
Labour, Cardiff South and Penarth
4:45,
23 October 2007
The Magistrates Association does not always get it right; the hon. Gentleman should apply his own mind to the matter. Faced with an offender who commits a mild offence, we might not want to use the full panoply of measures in the YRO, but merely want to say, “Put things right.” Surely what the hon. Gentleman seeks would stand in the way of that.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
