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Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 26 Nov 2025
Sentencing Bill

"My Lords, there is a curious diffidence over so important a part of the Bill as Clause 1. I shall not say much about it, except that, although the amendments are worth studying to see whether they do improve how Clause 1 can operate, they seem to stem from a …..."
Lord Beith - View Speech

View all Lord Beith (LD - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Sentencing Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 26 Nov 2025
Sentencing Bill

"On behalf of my noble friend Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames, I beg to move Amendment 45. The purpose of this amendment, and indeed of Amendment 45A which is grouped with it, is to get the focus right. We believe the focus on the victims of crime should be clear on …..."
Lord Beith - View Speech

View all Lord Beith (LD - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Sentencing Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 26 Nov 2025
Sentencing Bill

"My Lords, the Minister has made a good case for his reliance on Clause 4 in its reference to victims. The wider issues raised in Amendment 45A ought still to attract the Government’s interest as we proceed with the Bill, but on the basis of what has been said in …..."
Lord Beith - View Speech

View all Lord Beith (LD - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Sentencing Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 26 Nov 2025
Sentencing Bill

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Lord Beith - View Speech

View all Lord Beith (LD - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Sentencing Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 26 Nov 2025
Sentencing Bill

"My Lords, the noble and learned Lord, Lord Keen of Elie, has raised an interesting and very debatable question, which is what the role of the judiciary should be in allotting rehabilitation time and activity and what the role of the probation officer can reasonably be. In theory, I should …..."
Lord Beith - View Speech

View all Lord Beith (LD - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Sentencing Bill
Written Question
Privy Council Office Judicial Committee
Wednesday 15th May 2024

Asked by: Lord Beith (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to bring forward Orders in Council to allow judges from relevant overseas jurisdictions to be appointed to serve on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Answered by Lord Bellamy

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has a jurisdiction beyond the UK and serves as the final court of appeal for many Commonwealth and other jurisdictions. From time to time, the work of the Judicial Committee has been augmented with the jurisprudence and expertise brought by appellate judges from jurisdictions beyond the UK.

The Lord Chancellor welcomes and approves Lord Reed’s proposal to invite judges outside the UK to sit on the Judicial Committee, and the necessary work is in train.

Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 05 Sep 2022
European Court of Human Rights

"Will the Minister confirm that the Government intend to use the Bill introduced in the other House to limit the ability of citizens to use the convention on human rights to safeguard their position against an over-mighty state? Does that not sit very oddly with the victor of the Conservative …..."
Lord Beith - View Speech

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Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 24 Feb 2022
Judicial Review and Courts Bill

"I am grateful to the Minister. Does he think that he ought to consider the impact that would flow from removing local justice areas, when we already find that taking cases to the furthest point within a local justice area—because there is a particularly well-equipped courtroom there, say—means that magistrates …..."
Lord Beith - View Speech

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Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 24 Feb 2022
Judicial Review and Courts Bill

"My Lords, I agree with many of the points my noble friend has made. He made a particularly forceful point about addressing the jury at an inquest. It seems an absurdity that the law is in that state; I will come back to the encrusted historical nature of the law …..."
Lord Beith - View Speech

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Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 24 Feb 2022
Judicial Review and Courts Bill

"It is not just human nature; it is the practical difficulty of registering deaths and making appointments in coroners’ offices, because registrars’ and coroners’ offices have very limited not just opening hours but opening days. This has been particularly marked during the pandemic...."
Lord Beith - View Speech

View all Lord Beith (LD - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Judicial Review and Courts Bill