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Proceeding contribution from David Howarth (Liberal Democrat) in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 3 November 2009. It occurred during Committee of the Whole House (HC) and Debate on bill on Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill.


Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill

That is a very good question. Judging by the Minister's account, it depends on whether the person wants to sign it, and if they do want to sign it, then they are a civil servant. This is not at all satisfactory. The problem in terms of the courts is that they will try to work out the intention of Parliament and we are trying to get the Minister to put on record what her intention is, but she seems entirely incapable of doing so. She gives the impression that she has some sort of definition to hand, but we cannot work out what it is. She gives examples, but if one attempts the normal case law technique of joining them together to produce a rule, one cannot work out what the rule is that lies behind those examples. This seems to me to be entirely the wrong approach, and if the Joint Committee supported that approach it could not have been in a position to work out what it was doing.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
498 c792 
Session
2008-09
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Staff Conditions of employment Codes of practice Courts Conduct Annual reports Civil servants Civil service Diplomatic service GCHQ Public appointments Ministers Peers Nationality Special advisers Reform Tribunals Treaties Migrant workers Scotland Senior civil servants Civil Service Commission
Legislation
Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill 2008-09 to 2009-10
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk