Crime and Courts Bill [HL]

Debate between Baroness Kennedy of Shaws and Lord Lloyd of Berwick

Monday 25th June 2012 Lords Chamber

[Lord Lloyd of Berwick]

Could I ask the noble Baroness a question? Much of what she said dealt with flexibility. I think that everybody in the House is in favour of maximum flexibility, both at the High Court level and above where it is possible. The real question is whether flexibility demands part-time judges. The view of some of us is that it does not.

[Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws]

If I may respond to the noble and learned Lord, it seems to me that it has to be one of the possibilities in the whole panoply open to those making appointments. I do not imagine that it would happen very often but it might be that someone exceptional could be appointed who would say, “I will sit during these parts of the year and will be available to you then”. I do not believe that that would bring about resentment from other colleagues once they saw the quality of the work done by people of real ability.