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Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill

My Lords, this amendment does not have the effect of banning all non-legal staff from court prosecutions. Indeed, it is right that there should be such a power and responsibility within a limited parameter. Nevertheless, I believe that the amendment is to be supported for limiting that within proper bounds. One can summarise the case thus: these people are carrying out an essentially professional function, certainly insofar as more serious cases are concerned. It is only right that they should be professionally qualified and disciplined, and should be answerable to a professional code of conduct insofar as matters outside the ambit of the amendment are concerned.