Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Oral Answers to Questions

Julian Brazier Excerpts
Tuesday 4th February 2014

(10 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Chris Grayling Portrait Chris Grayling
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Where I differ is that I do not believe it is necessary to have an international court deciding things that should be a matter for this Parliament and our courts. That is what needs to change.

Julian Brazier Portrait Mr Julian Brazier (Canterbury) (Con)
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I strongly support my right hon. Friend’s stand on this matter. Does he agree that just one example of how far the European Court of Human Rights has moved from its original foundations is that the British Government and the lawyers who were instrumental in setting it up were also responsible for the largest programme of judicial executions—of Nazis at Nuremburg—in modern British history?

Chris Grayling Portrait Chris Grayling
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It is certainly the case that the jurisprudence of the Court has moved a long way from where it started, and some things have clearly changed for the better, but I would argue now that the decisions coming out of the Court are matters that should be addressed in this and other Parliaments. Of course, this is an area where there are divisions between all the parties in the House, and I have no doubt that it will be an area of lively debate as we approach the general election, when the people will decide.