Lord Falconer of Thoroton Portrait

Lord Falconer of Thoroton

Labour - Life peer

Became Member: 14th May 1997


3 APPG memberships (as of 24 Jan 2024)
Choice at the End of Life, Hong Kong, War Crimes
2 Former APPG memberships
Access to Justice, Legal Aid
Shadow Spokesperson (Justice)
15th Apr 2020 - 29th Nov 2021
Shadow Attorney General
6th Apr 2020 - 29th Nov 2021
Shadow Spokesperson (Scotland)
18th May 2021 - 29th Nov 2021
Shadow Advocate-General for Scotland
18th May 2021 - 29th Nov 2021
Sentencing (Pre-consolidation Amendments) Bill [HL] Special Public Bill Committee
20th Jun 2019 - 23rd Jul 2019
Shadow Lord Chancellor and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
11th May 2015 - 26th Jun 2016
Shadow Spokesperson (Constitutional and Deputy Priministerial Issues) (Justice)
17th Oct 2011 - 11th May 2015
Shadow Spokesperson (Justice)
8th Oct 2010 - 6th Sep 2012
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
9th May 2007 - 28th Jun 2007
Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
9th Oct 2006 - 1st Jun 2007
Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor
12th Jun 2003 - 8th May 2007
Procedure and Privileges Committee
16th Jul 2003 - 8th Nov 2006
Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
12th Jun 2003 - 24th May 2005
Constitutional Reform Bill
22nd Mar 2004 - 24th Jun 2004
Minister of State (Home Office) (Criminal Justice System)
29th May 2002 - 12th Jun 2003
Minister of State (Department of Transport, Local Government and Regions) (Housing & Planning)
8th Jun 2001 - 28th May 2002


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Lord Falconer of Thoroton has voted in 223 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Lord Falconer of Thoroton Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Lord Stewart of Dirleton (Conservative)
Advocate General for Scotland
(38 debate interactions)
Lord Keen of Elie (Conservative)
(24 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Scotland Office
(134 debate contributions)
Ministry of Justice
(106 debate contributions)
Home Office
(30 debate contributions)
Ministry of Defence
(23 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Lord Falconer of Thoroton's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lord Falconer of Thoroton, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


4 Bills introduced by Lord Falconer of Thoroton


A Bill To enable competent adults who are terminally ill to be provided at their request with specified assistance to end their own life; and for connected purposes.

Lords - 60%

Last Event - Committee: 2nd Sitting: House Of Lords
Friday 16th January 2015

A bill to enable competent adults who are terminally ill to be provided at their request with specified assistance to end their own life; and for connected purposes

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Tuesday 28th January 2020
(Read Debate)

A Bill to enable competent adults who are terminally ill to be provided at their request with specified assistance to end their own life; and for connected purposes.

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Lords
Thursday 4th June 2015

A Bill To enable competent adults who are terminally ill to be provided at their request with specified assistance to end their own life; and for connected purposes.

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Lords
Wednesday 15th May 2013

Lord Falconer of Thoroton has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 5 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
12th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they made of the benefits of using a (1) centralised, and (2) decentralised, model for the COVID-19 contact tracing application; which of those benefits they plan to realise from the model in use; and what plans they have, if any, to change the model should those benefits not be realised.

Our priority has been to maximise the public health value of the app to save lives, while preserving privacy. We have gone for a centralised model because it provides the most flexibility from an epidemiological and disease management point of view.

Our centralised approach for the app gives the National Health Service a clear picture of which phones have been in close contact with each other. The model allows us more flexibility in how we decide to notify users and will help us give the most accurate advice to individuals. This flexibility will help to better spot false alarms and unnecessary alerts asking people to self-isolate.

We continue to work with Apple and Google to deliver the NHS COVID-19 app. The app will continue to evolve as our understanding of the virus increases and we will continue to revisit our design decisions as that understanding grows and we move to a national roll out.

12th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish (1) a data protection impact assessment, (2) a privacy impact assessment, (3) advice received from the Information Commissioner, and (4) advice received from the ethics committee chaired by Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery, for the COVID-19 contact tracing application; and if so, when.

We have prioritised security and privacy at all stages of the National Health Service COVID-19 app’s development. An initial Data Protection Impact Assessment and a privacy notice have already been published on 7 May and, to ensure ongoing transparency, these will be updated as the app develops. A member of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) staff has been working alongside the NHSX team since 23 March and the ICO’s most recent thinking on this matter is published and updated frequently on their website. The Ethics Advisory Board of the NHS COVID-19 app has published a letter to the Secretary of State summarising its advice in relation to the COVID-19 application. A copy of the letter is attached.

29th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the Memorandum of Understanding concerning the Murder of British Nationals overseas.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, National Police Chief's Council, and Chief Coroner's Office for England and Wales are in the final stages of reviewing the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding on Murder, Manslaughter, and Infanticide Abroad. An updated MoU text will be published on Gov.UK once this process is complete.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
4th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cases have been adjourned in (1) family courts, (2) civil courts, (3) magistrates courts, (4) crown courts, and (5) tribunals, in each of the last three months.

Comprehensive figures for adjournments are not held for (1) family courts (2) civil courts (3) magistrates’ courts (4) crown courts and (5) most tribunals.

MoJ publishes figures on adjournments in the First Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), Social Security and Child Support, Criminal Injuries Compensation, Mental Health, and Special Educational Needs and Disability as part of National Statistics, and the figures relating to the period in the request are due for publication later in 2020.

On 11 June 2020, HMCTS published new management information on the gov.uk website to provide stakeholders and the public with information to understand the very latest high-level position on the impact on workload volumes and activity across HMCTS. Annex A shows the volumes of hearings listed and hearings adjourned due to COVID-19 in the civil jurisdiction only.

4th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the 4,066 hearings in England and Wales as of 27 April were adjourned to be determined at a future date.

Comprehensive figures for adjournments are not held for (1) family courts (2) civil courts (3) magistrates’ courts (4) crown courts and (5) most tribunals.

MoJ publishes figures on adjournments in the First Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), Social Security and Child Support, Criminal Injuries Compensation, Mental Health, and Special Educational Needs and Disability as part of National Statistics, and the figures relating to the period in the request are due for publication later in 2020.

On 11 June 2020, HMCTS published new management information on the gov.uk website to provide stakeholders and the public with information to understand the very latest high-level position on the impact on workload volumes and activity across HMCTS. Annex A shows the volumes of hearings listed and hearings adjourned due to COVID-19 in the civil jurisdiction only.