Oral Answers to Questions

Robert Jenrick Excerpts

Tuesday 5th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Damien Moore (Southport) (Con)]

1. What steps the Government plan to take to ensure the effective operation of the UK legal system after the UK leaves the EU.

[Robert Jenrick (Newark) (Con)]

17. What steps the Government plan to take to ensure the effective operation of the UK legal system after the UK leaves the EU.

[The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Dominic Raab)]

The Government have made it a top priority to ensure that there is a smooth legal transition, both in our negotiations with the EU and as a matter for our domestic implementing legislation.

[Dominic Raab]

We are taking back control over our laws—that is what the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill does—so that hon. Members in this House are properly accountable to the voters and the UK Supreme Court has the last word on the law of the land. From that point on, we can retain, revise or repeal any piece of retained law as we see fit for the British national interest.

[Robert Jenrick]

The Minister may have seen the recent TheCityUK report, which underlined the importance of the legal sector to the United Kingdom’s economy and the City. Will the Minister update the House on the negotiations in respect of the report’s principal concern, which is whether contracts will continue to be enforceable and respected across the European Union after we leave?

[Dominic Raab]

In our negotiations with the EU, we have made it clear—for example, in our position paper on civil and judicial co-operation—that we want to maintain that win-win co-operation in areas such as recognition of contractual judgments, but also on decisions in family law disputes that support businesses and individuals on all sides.