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Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill

My Lords, I support the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, in his protest at the late setting down of these amendments. Amendment No. 4A states: "““Nothing in this section is to be taken as restricting any power to make rules of court””." It is crucial to our debates today to know whether the Government intend to make rules of court, in which case many of our objections might be properly addressed at that stage. If we are being presented with something just to paper over the cracks, as opposed to a positive commitment from the Government to make rules of court covering this extremely difficult area of procedural criminal law, it is a disgrace to Parliament that this procedure is adopted.