Yesterday was one of the most remarkable days I have spent in the Lords. I was in Westminster Hall to hear President Obama, and straight afterwards went to the memorial service in Westminster Abbey for Lord Bingham, one of our greatest judges. He was Master of the Rolls, Lord Chief Justice and senior Law Lord. …
I have two thoughts on the ripples spreading from the granting of injunctions to protect the privacy of celebrities. One is that the judiciary should not be subjected to pressure by politicians to interpret the law in a certain way, except through the passage of new legislation for them to apply. Parliament makes the law (in the situation…
Leaving aside the issue of electing peers, everyone is agreed that there are too many of us at the moment and that some way needs to be found to reduce the numbers, e.g. a retirement age. I cannot resist drawing attention to this new suggestion made, I think by Armando Iannucci, on The News Quiz on Radio…
I walked to the House on this beautiful sunny morning, skirting the Abbey as well. Seeing those buildings in all their glory, surrounded by tourists, is a vivid reminder of what the UK Parliament means. It is highly significant not only to us, but to those around the world who value constitutional government and the rule of…
There are those who say that the BBC is not sufficiently “accountable”. Well, the new chairman of the trustees, Lord (Chris) Patten has had a busy week explaining how it works, first to the Lords Select Committee on Communications, and then to the AllParty BBC Group. The usual issues were raised: how can the trustees…
