Attorney General’s Office: Conflicts of Interest

Lord Caine Excerpts

Monday 27th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hermer (Lab)]

I have two answers to that. In terms of the current law officers, it has none, because we will not be distracted in the work that we seek to perform with this Government to enable them, through law, to deliver on their objectives. My concern is not for myself nor my colleagues; it is that, where people seek to scrape the bottom of the legal barrel in order to drive short-term political point-scoring, it undermines this country’s important institutions in the eyes of the public.

[Lord Caine (Con)]

My Lords, as Advocate-General for Northern Ireland, the noble and learned Lord might well have to advise on matters relating to highly sensitive national security interests in legacy cases, as happened when I was in government. Would it not serve the interests of transparency and public confidence in his office in Northern Ireland if he were to state unequivocally, yes or no, that, in any cases that might involve known associates of people he has acted for, or indeed those individuals themselves, he will simply recuse himself?

[Lord Hermer (Lab)]

I can assure the noble Lord that in those instances, and, indeed, in any subject matter that I am asked to consider as Attorney-General, we will apply the rigorous conflict process to identify and manage conflicts. Beyond that, I am afraid I cannot go.