Question to the Attorney General:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Attorney General has recused himself from advising on (1) all aspects of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, or (2) only those clauses of that Act that prevent payment of compensation to Gerry Adams.

By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.

As I set out to the house in January 2025, there has always been an established rigorous system in place within the Attorney General’s Office to ensure that a Law Officer would not be consulted on any matter that could give rise to a potential conflict of interest. That process sits against the backdrop of every lawyer’s professional obligation to be alert to, and actively manage, any situation that might give rise to a potential or actual conflict.

This process also sits alongside the declaration of interest system overseen by the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards.