Examination of witnesses. Motion to amend the programme motion of the 21st January. Amendment to the motion negatived. Main Question agreed to. Committee adjourned till 29th January. Written evidence reported to the House.

Examination of witnesses. Motion to amend the programme motion of the 21st January. Amendment to the motion negatived. Main Question agreed to. Committee adjourned till 29th January. Written evidence reported to the House.

Letter dated 15/02/2012 from Lord Wallace of Tankerness to Lord Warner regarding assisted suicide debate. 2 p.

Letter dated 15/02/2012 from Lord Wallace of Tankerness to Lord Warner regarding assisted suicide debate. 2 p.

My Lords, I can be brief on behalf of the Opposition. We support the Bill and warmly congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Wirral, on the calm, reasonable and above all clear way in which he moved this debate. We have come to expect that of him over the...

My Lords, I can be brief on behalf of the Opposition. We support the Bill and warmly congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Wirral, on the calm, reasonable and above all clear way in which he moved this debate. We have come to expect that of him over the...

My Lords, I speak in the gap—and I am grateful for the House’s indulgence in allowing me to do so—to make just one short point on the Bill. It is an excellent Bill and I thoroughly support it. I agree with everything that has been said in support of it...

My Lords, I speak in the gap—and I am grateful for the House’s indulgence in allowing me to do so—to make just one short point on the Bill. It is an excellent Bill and I thoroughly support it. I agree with everything that has been said in support of it...

I was very careful to say that the honourable gentleman was in the vicinity of the Chamber because I was about to fall into error, I know.

I was very careful to say that the honourable gentleman was in the vicinity of the Chamber because I was about to fall into error, I know.

My Lords, from the mild titter that went round the House when the noble Lord, Lord Bach, said that I would not need the expert advice that he had needed, we can all assume that there was a little irony in that statement. I know that there was no truth...

My Lords, from the mild titter that went round the House when the noble Lord, Lord Bach, said that I would not need the expert advice that he had needed, we can all assume that there was a little irony in that statement. I know that there was no truth...

My Lords, I declare an interest as a partner in the international commercial law firm Beachcroft LLP and the other interests recorded in the register. First, I pay tribute to the Law Commission. The Law Commission was, in fact, created by the Law Commissions Act 1965, which was the year...

My Lords, I declare an interest as a partner in the international commercial law firm Beachcroft LLP and the other interests recorded in the register. First, I pay tribute to the Law Commission. The Law Commission was, in fact, created by the Law Commissions Act 1965, which was the year...

My Lords, I support the Bill. I am not a lawyer, but I congratulate the noble Lords, Lord Hunt and Lord Marks, on very clear legal presentations. It came across to me as fascinating, obscure territory where quite a big issue of justice is at stake. In many ways, I...

My Lords, I support the Bill. I am not a lawyer, but I congratulate the noble Lords, Lord Hunt and Lord Marks, on very clear legal presentations. It came across to me as fascinating, obscure territory where quite a big issue of justice is at stake. In many ways, I...

My Lords, while I declare an interest as a practising barrister, I should add that I have never conducted a case in this precise area of the law, so while I am grateful to my noble friend for looking at me when suggesting that experts in this area of the...

My Lords, while I declare an interest as a practising barrister, I should add that I have never conducted a case in this precise area of the law, so while I am grateful to my noble friend for looking at me when suggesting that experts in this area of the...

My Lords, I thank everyone who has contributed to this debate, which has greatly enhanced the reputation of this House as the Chamber in which we can hear from experts in their field. Certainly, my noble friend Lord Marks of Henley on Thames is widely respected outside this House for...

My Lords, I thank everyone who has contributed to this debate, which has greatly enhanced the reputation of this House as the Chamber in which we can hear from experts in their field. Certainly, my noble friend Lord Marks of Henley on Thames is widely respected outside this House for...

Undoubtedly that is the kind of skill that made the noble Lord such a successful lawyer in Leicester, whether instructed by Mr Knight or any other solicitor. I also pay tribute to someone who has always been my friend, but in the past year has been my noble friend Lord...

Undoubtedly that is the kind of skill that made the noble Lord such a successful lawyer in Leicester, whether instructed by Mr Knight or any other solicitor. I also pay tribute to someone who has always been my friend, but in the past year has been my noble friend Lord...

Estates of Deceased Persons (Forfeiture Rule and Law of Succession) Bill. Lords second reading debate agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

Estates of Deceased Persons (Forfeiture Rule and Law of Succession) Bill. Lords second reading debate agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

My hon. Friend is dealing with two important cases, but does he agree that they illustrate that our intestacy provisions are defective, and that the Bill seeks to put that right? The intestacy rules are a default mechanism, designed to help people who did not make a will, by channelling...

My hon. Friend is dealing with two important cases, but does he agree that they illustrate that our intestacy provisions are defective, and that the Bill seeks to put that right? The intestacy rules are a default mechanism, designed to help people who did not make a will, by channelling...

As far as I can ascertain, having looked at the figures, the Bill will affect about 200 cases a year.

As far as I can ascertain, having looked at the figures, the Bill will affect about 200 cases a year.

I think that, in fact, my right hon. Friend was a little more successful: he was drawn fifth.

I think that, in fact, my right hon. Friend was a little more successful: he was drawn fifth.

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second Time. It is an unexpected privilege to be here. I have signed the book for the ballot for private Members' Bills every year since 1983, apart from four years when, due to the electorate, I was elsewhere. It...

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second Time. It is an unexpected privilege to be here. I have signed the book for the ballot for private Members' Bills every year since 1983, apart from four years when, due to the electorate, I was elsewhere. It...

I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for East Yorkshire (Mr Knight) on introducing the Bill and on his lucid presentation of a complex matter. Of course, as he indicated, the background is that a draft Civil Law Reform Bill was published in the last Session of Parliament and...

I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for East Yorkshire (Mr Knight) on introducing the Bill and on his lucid presentation of a complex matter. Of course, as he indicated, the background is that a draft Civil Law Reform Bill was published in the last Session of Parliament and...

I always like to be generous and, indeed, I thank the right hon. Gentleman for supporting my Bill on 12 November. I wish, sadly, that some of his colleagues had felt the same way. The right hon. Gentleman did an extremely good job; he gave a valuable explanation, with examples...

I always like to be generous and, indeed, I thank the right hon. Gentleman for supporting my Bill on 12 November. I wish, sadly, that some of his colleagues had felt the same way. The right hon. Gentleman did an extremely good job; he gave a valuable explanation, with examples...

It is perhaps worth placing on the record—the Committee specifically sought to inquire into this—that the deemed predeceased rule has no other legal effect. In other words, determining that someone is deceased for the purposes of inheritance does not affect any other legal provision or right relating to them.

It is perhaps worth placing on the record—the Committee specifically sought to inquire into this—that the deemed predeceased rule has no other legal effect. In other words, determining that someone is deceased for the purposes of inheritance does not affect any other legal provision or right relating to them.