"I entirely understand and accept that the police will investigate many alleged possible offences in highly sensitive circumstances, but the issue that arises for Parliament, and your Lordships’ House in particular today, is whether we should adopt special criteria where the sensitivity and the distress relate to a woman who …..." Lord Pannick - View Speech
"The Committee will take its own view on whether I have answered the questions that have been put to me. I do not think that a reference to 1.5 million abortions really takes the argument any further forward.
"He can, but as I have already said, the difficulty is that, however sympathetic the guidance, the circumstances of the woman concerned have to be investigated in order to identify whether her case falls within those criteria. Therefore, the damage he has done to the woman who has recently lost …..." Lord Pannick - View Speech
"Can I assist the noble Baroness? Clause 191 is perfectly clear in that no offence is committed by a woman acting in relation to her own pregnancy. It simply does not affect the criminal offences that are committed by any person, whether a doctor or otherwise, who assists a woman. …..." Lord Pannick - View Speech
"I am very grateful to the noble Baroness for giving way. That is a shocking story, but nothing in Clause 191 would affect the criminal liability of the man who behaved in such a disgraceful manner...." Lord Pannick - View Speech
"I have two questions. Will the Chief Whip confirm that whether the Parliament Act is invoked is entirely a matter for the House of Commons? Does he agree that the reason that the Parliament Act is being discussed at the moment is because this is day 8 of Committee and …..." Lord Pannick - View Speech
"It is a great pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Campbell of Surbiton, and to say how pleased I am, as I am sure all noble Lords are, that she is very much still with us. I hope she will be for many years to come.
"The noble Baroness makes an important point, because this Bill is concerned with providing choice. Of course there is no mandatory obligation, but, if you are given this information, you should have the right—it is your life—to decide whether you wish to take advantage of these provisions. In many cases, …..." Lord Pannick - View Speech
"The noble Baroness began by asking about my experiences. I do not really want to talk about my personal experiences, except to say that those I have loved have faced a terminal diagnosis. I am very familiar with all of this on a personal basis, as I am sure is …..." Lord Pannick - View Speech