"My Lords, I make just one technical point. We are here to discuss whether or not these amendments are going to work if they are passed.
Amendment 35, for example, deals with the defence of reasonable excuse by reference to a number of international conventions. I am a bit concerned …..." Lord Faulks - View Speech
"My Lords, the Government have rightly made it clear that we should be prepared for conflict if necessary. Unfortunately, they, and indeed the previous Government, have gathered a reputation for so-called legal freeloading, in other words, being restrained by an interpretation of international law which has often made it difficult …..." Lord Faulks - View Speech
"My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Pack, on his excellent maiden speech. As well as having considerable content, it also had the merit of brevity, a quality much admired in your Lordships’ House. I declare an interest as the chair of IPSO, which regulates 95%, by circulation, of …..." Lord Faulks - View Speech
"My Lords, I declare an interest as a member of the committee and as a participant in a number of public inquiries, whether as a witness, a lawyer or indeed a chair.
Why do we have more and more of them? What do they achieve? Setting up a public inquiry …..." Lord Faulks - View Speech
"My Lords, I too congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Longfield, on her excellent speech. I declare an interest as a practising barrister and a former recorder of the Crown Court. There is no doubt about the disastrous consequences of delays. They are unfair to defendants and to witnesses, particularly complainants, …..." Lord Faulks - View Speech
"My Lords, about 10 years ago, as a Minister, I visited the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. I was there to apologise to the Committee of Ministers for the fact that we had not yet given prisoners the vote. While I was there, the president of the court …..." Lord Faulks - View Speech
"My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Deech, on securing this debate and on her persistence on this issue in the face of government inactivity. It is also a great privilege to follow the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Butler-Sloss, with her immense experience of these cases. I declare …..." Lord Faulks - View Speech
"My Lords, I should declare an interest as a lawyer. They have not been getting a particularly good press during this debate although, having said that, I agree with many of the comments that have been made about their role. The great importance that seems to be attached to lawyers …..." Lord Faulks - View Speech
"As the noble Baroness pauses, I wonder whether she could help me by just clarifying one thing. I think I heard her say that the Government have come to the clear conclusion that it would be contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights to allow someone in Gerry Adams’s …..." Lord Faulks - View Speech
"My Lords, the noble and learned Lord has described the rigorous system that is in place and has been for some time, but he is, of course, the chief government legal adviser and head of the Government Legal Service. As in private practice, ultimately, the decision is his. Does he …..." Lord Faulks - View Speech