Michael Gove to be questioned on UK Bill of Rights, rule of law and prisoner voting
The House of Lords Constitution Committee will next week hold its annual evidence session with the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Michael Gove MP.
The session will cover a range of issues related to Mr Gove's areas of responsibility including:
- The proposed UK Bill of Rights – When the Government's consultation will begin and whether it will include a draft Bill, whether the government has ruled out withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights, and whether a new Bill of Rights should include a statement on collective values.
- Devolution and Human Rights – Whether Mr Gove would accept a Bill of Rights that applied only to England, while the Human Rights Act remained in force in the devolved nations, and how the government will ensure that the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly can exercise new powers to change their franchise without the legislation being found incompatible with Convention Rights following the ruling on votes for prisoners.
- Role of the Lord Chancellor – How Mr Gove sees his responsibility for maintaining the rule of law, his view on changes to the Ministerial Code which have removed references to minsters being bound by international law, and how he will ensure that access to justice is not affected by reforms of Courts and Tribunals?
- Prisoner voting - When the Government will respond fully to the Joint Committee report on prisoners' voting rights.
The evidence session will start at 10:30am on Wednesday 2 December in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords.
