Harris and Swinson quiz Ward and Wills on Seditious and Criminal Libel and a Citizens' Convention

6.18.19pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 27th Jul 2009

• [Jul 21] Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon, Liberal Democrat): TWELVE days ago, the Government accepted amendments in the House of Lords to abolish seditious and criminal libel.

Those amendments had been sought for a long time by bodies such as PEN, Index on Censorship and Article 19; I am a trustee of the last of those organisations. May I ask the Secretary of State to ask his officials to liaise with them all to ensure that maximum publicity is given to the fact that we are going to change our law, and to set an example to those countries that maintain and use such laws? (HC Deb, 21 July 2009, c747)

Claire Ward (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Ministry of Justice; Watford, Labour): The Government have accepted in principle the amendments tabled to the Coroners and Justice Bill. Among other things, the amendments will extend abolitions to the offences to Northern Ireland, and pick up some of the mixed consequential amendments and repeals to various linked statutory provisions. We will also look at debating and discussing some of those issues with other partners and outside stakeholders.

• . . Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire, Liberal Democrat): The people outside the House must be involved in rebuilding our broken political system. Will the Secretary of State support a citizens convention to help to map out the path for constitutional renewal, instead of leaving it solely in the hands of politicians? (HC Deb, 21 July 2009, c749)

Michael Wills (Minister of State, Ministry of Justice; North Swindon, Labour): The hon. Lady makes a very valuable point and I agree with a large part of what she said. It is important that we involve the British people in policy making between elections as well as at them. That is why we are bringing forward proposals for deliberative events that involve the British people in precisely the way she suggests. I do not agree with her precisely that we need to wrap it all up in one grand citizens convention, but on the spirit of what she is saying-the need to involve people in deliberative events to help formulate public policy-I agree.

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