UK Law Lords Oppose Supreme Court Bill

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com, London

08 March 2004

The UK's Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf threw a cat amongst the pigeons last week by condemning elements of the government's planned legal reforms.

Suggesting that the proposed new supreme court would be "second class", Lord Woolf suggested that the supreme court bill's second reading in the House of Lords should be deferred if no decision can be reached on a suitable building to house the body. He also warned that the creation of such a court could create tensions between the judiciary and Parliament.

Lord Woolf's criticisms of the reform process in general, and the supreme court plans in particular, have reportedly been taken up by a group of former law lords, cross benchers, and Conservatives, who have vowed to derail the reform process at today's reading in the House of Lords by referring the matter to a special select committee.

However, the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) was defiant last week, announcing that:

"These proposals were only brought to Parliament after extensive consultation and agreement with senior members of the judiciary, including the Lord Chief Justice, the legal profession and the public."

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