Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Bellamy on 28 November (HL Deb col 1561), what plans they have to announce (1) the timeframe, and (2) the terms of reference, for the Royal Commission on the criminal justice process, as announced in the Queen's Speech on 19 December 2019.

Both the timeframe and terms of reference for the Royal Commission are under review. We continue to prioritise recovery in the criminal justice system and it is right to do so in light of the disruption caused by the Criminal Bar Association’s recent action. Our focus is on delivering our priorities over the coming months and overhauling the UK human rights framework through the Bill of Rights, which will safeguard the wider public interest, while restoring some common sense to our justice system.