LORD CHANCELLOR

Early day motion 369, tabled 26 February 2001 by Austin Mitchell (Labour). Signed by 33 members.

That this House considers that the essential task of reforming the legal system cannot be rigorously or effectively pursued to its logical goal of equal access and fair justice for all until the commanding heights of the judicial and legal systems are properly rationalised; therefore suggests to the Noble Lord, the Lord Chancellor, that his purposes and those of the party for which he labours so vigorously can only be achieved by getting rid of the trappings of the middle ages which are as relevant to modern justice as the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is to naval defence; urges him to shed some of this excessive burdens and advance the work which he has begun by splitting the mediaeval office he holds into its component roles of a Minister of Justice answerable to this House and responsible for the modernisation of the legal services and for ensuring justice for all, an independent Judicial Appointments Commission responsible for the appointment, training and continuous performance review of all judges and for ensuring a properly representative bench of judges, a radically reformed Legal Service Commission committed to ensuring that an effective legal service and proper legal representation are readily available to all as of right and that an impressive actor of benign disposition and avuncular persona presides over the House of Lords and fulfils ceremonial functions; and urges the Government to support his efforts by introducing all these necessary reforms as quickly as possible.

Signatures by party: Labour 26, Liberal Democrat 5, Conservative 1, Labour/Co-operative 1.