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Proceeding contribution from Baroness Butler-Sloss (Crossbench) in the House of Lords on Wednesday, 28 October 2009. It occurred during Debate on bill on Coroners and Justice Bill.


Coroners and Justice Bill

My Lords, I, too, have added my name to this amendment. I very much support what the noble Baroness, Lady Young, has done. It is greatly to her credit that she has pursued this. I have come rather late to see how important it is that this gap should be covered. I should declare two interests. One is that I am a vice-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Trafficking. Trafficked women, in particular, are part of those who are put into forced servitude. I have also just become the mother of the acting-chairman of Liberty—I mean that I am the mother of the recently appointed acting-chairman. Your Lordships will understand my putting it the wrong way around. I thought I should declare that as an interest. My point is that the amendment as it stands produces at trial, instead of at summary justice, two possible sentences of 14 years and seven years. I can see that there are objections to that and I am very happy with the various proposals put forward by the Minister at the meeting I attended earlier. It is a serious matter and the punishment should fit the crime. Therefore, the Government, in looking at the appropriate punishment, should go high rather than low.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
713 c1183 
Session
2008-09
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Subjects
Disclosure of information Criminal investigation Administration of justice Conspiracy Defamation Blasphemy Alternatives to prison EU countries Freedom of information Evidence Driving Disqualification Forced labour Informers Freedom of expression Offenders Northern Ireland Protection Membership Prisoners Publicity Prison sentences Statistics Sentencing Witnesses Voting rights Slavery Video conferencing Sentencing Council for England and Wales
Legislation
Coroners and Justice Bill 2008-09
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk