Law Officers to give evidence to Lords committee
Tuesday 27 June 2023
Tomorrow the House of Lords Constitution Committee will be hearing from the Attorney General, the Solicitor General, and the Advocate General for Scotland, on topics including the Rule of Law and the Ministerial Code.
Giving evidence will be:
- The Rt Hon Victoria Prentis KC MP, Attorney General and Advocate General for Northern Ireland
- Michael Tomlinson KC MP, Solicitor General
- Lord Stewart of Dirleton KC, Advocate General for Scotland
Possible questions include:
- As Law Officers, do you consider your duty to the rule of law a greater priority than party political considerations?
- Would you support an amendment to the Ministerial Code and the Cabinet Manual to define more clearly the duties of the Law Officers?
- Do you consider your duty to the rule of law to extend to international law?
- What steps do you take to ensure that rule of law implications are considered before a bill is introduced in Parliament?
- What role do you play on the international stage to protect and promote the rule of law?
- What, in your view, are the advantages of the Attorney General attending Cabinet meetings? Are there any disadvantages?
- Is there value in updating the Law Officers’ oath to reflect the primacy of your duty to uphold the rule of law? Would this make the role played by the Law Officers more easily understood by the public?
The session will take place on Wednesday 28 June at 9:00am and can be followed live on Parliament TV.
