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Coroners and Justice Bill

My Lords, Amendment 7, which is in my name, would add the need for an inquest jury where, ""a member of the security services"," has been responsible for the death. The wording in the Bill is, ""in the purported execution of the officer’s or member’s duty as such"." I moved this amendment in Committee but it was dealt with rather disparagingly by the Minister at that time, who said, "Well, there has never been a recorded instance of a death caused by a member of the security services". That was a pretty wide statement. He said that it had not occurred in 50 years. Clearly, if a member of the security services is employed to carry out functions very similar to those of a police officer, it may well happen. If it should happen, it would be a travesty for it to be said that a jury was not needed in such a case because it does not come within the Bill. When a member of the security services operates as such in the execution of his duty, he may be involved in a fatal incident. It is easy to see how it could happen in these days of terrorism. Accordingly, the same protection should be given by a jury in those cases as exists in relation to any police officer. I am speaking to that amendment now and will move it in due course.