Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alan Mak and Dominic Raab

Tuesday 26th April 2016 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Dominic Raab)]

The European convention can be implemented in UK law, but we have to trust the Supreme Court to apply it. It is odd that the Labour party, which set up the British Supreme Court, is so keen to subordinate it to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

[Mr Alan Mak (Havant) (Con)]

T4. Will the Minister confirm that when the Government bring forward their plans for a British Bill of Rights, they will restore power to the British Supreme Court and British common sense to the human rights debate?

[Mr Raab]

My hon. Friend makes that point powerfully. It is precisely one of the issues that we want to address.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alan Mak and Dominic Raab

Tuesday 23rd June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Alan Mak (Havant) (Con)]

Do Ministers agree that a British Bill of Rights is an important step towards ensuring that the matter of votes for prisoners remains a matter for this House to decide, and that the best way of rehabilitating offenders is through a good job and education, not political gimmicks?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Dominic Raab)]

I welcome my hon. Friend to the House. He is absolutely right: prisoner voting is a question that should be decided by democratically elected Members of this House. Our wider aim with a Bill of Rights is not only to protect our fundamental rights, but to strengthen the role of the British Supreme Court, defend the rule of law and shield the democratic prerogatives of this House.