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Lords to hear from Jack Straw and former Attorneys General

29 October 2014

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On Wednesday 29 October the House of Lords Constitution Committee will take evidence from former Lord Chancellor Jack Straw MP as well as former Attorneys General Dominic Grieve MP and Baroness Scotland of Asthal. Their evidence will form part of the committee's inquiry into the office of Lord Chancellor.

Witnesses

Wednesday 29 October, Committee Room 1, Palace of Westminster:

At 10:30am:

  • Dominic Grieve MP, former Attorney General.
  • Baroness Scotland of Asthal, former Attorney General.

At 11:15 am:

  • Jack Straw MP, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.

Possible questions

The Committee will ask the witnesses about a range of issues.

In the first session the focus will be on:

  • How the Law Officers—and in particular the Attorney General—ensure ministers act in accordance with the rule of law
  • Whether the Attorney General could perform the Lord Chancellor’s duties relating to the rule of law
  • How the roles of Attorney General and Lord Chancellor interact within Government.

In the second session with the former Lord Chancellors, the Committee will ask:

  • What makes a good Lord Chancellor and how the qualities required for the role differ from those of other ministers
  • Whether the provisions of the 2005 Constitutional Reform Act ensure that a Lord Chancellor will have those qualities
  • The advantages and disadvantages of the Lord Chancellor being a qualified lawyer

Further information