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🗣️ Speeches and Debates
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My Lords, I invite the Minister to consider including in the definition of acts preparatory words that one can take from Section 22 of the Theft Act in relation to handling stolen goods, that the offence is only committed if the perpetrator knows or believes that what he or she is doing is an act preparatory to terrorism. I raise that because one the features of the problems that arose on 7...
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My Lords, I want to say a brief word about constitutional matters. It has to be a brief word because the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor has failed to give any indication of the way the Government's mind is moving. I understand that in due course there will be papers on methods of conducting our business and on the composition of the House. That will be the time to discuss in...
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My Lords, I chose my words without due care and attention. I meant that there are more Members of this House taking the Labour Whip than there are taking the Whip of any other party or indeed those of us on these Benches who have the privilege of taking no Whip from any party, which is a freedom that I relish. I still say that the origin of the Salisbury convention was when there was an...
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My Lords, the House will be glad to know that I can express my views rather more succinctly than my noble and learned friend. I turn to the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland. Throughout the tenure of office of the present Government, there has been a consistent pattern of trying to weaken the independence of the judiciary. The famous ouster clause was the high watermark, but there...
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Leaving that to one side, my Lords, I stress that in relation to judging, judges are totally independent of the Chief Justice or any other judge. Early in my judicial career, I wanted advice from the Chief Justice about a bail case. I went to see him, and he gave me unequivocal advice about whether bail should be granted. The circumstances of the case, when I eventually heard it, were very...
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My Lords, I fully understand the feelings of the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman, but this is not the natural order of proceedings. That approach is never used in civil work. True, it is the natural progression in criminal work, but in civil work you go to the High Court—or the county court, come to that—and say, "Look, I want a preliminary order because of the urgency. It is purely...
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My Lords, may I ask a perfectly simple question before the noble Lord replies? I wholly support the idea of the DPP looking at these cases, and, if possible, bringing a criminal prosecution. I am wholly in favour of Amendment No. 12, which provides for that. However, could there be a problem, in an exceptional case, with subsection (1)(c) of the new clause in Amendment No. 9? It requires that...
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May I take the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor back to the point of judicial control by means of judicial review? I am not boasting, but I have probably presided over a divisional court for longer than anyone in the Committee, because I did it for nine months. It was concerned mostly not with Home Secretaries or central government, but with local government: with problems such as...
More of Lord Donaldson of Lymington's speeches and debates
✍️ Written Questions and Answers
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asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they have any evidence to show that the display of "Filter in Turn" signs at mini roundabouts contributes to a reduction in road rage; and, if so, whether they will encourage highway authorities to display such signs.
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asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether, in light of the need for drivers to concentrate on the carriageway ahead rather than on its verges, they will encourage highway authorities to place reminders of speed limitations on the carriageway itself.
More of Lord Donaldson of Lymington's written questions
