Judicial Review and Courts Bill (Second sitting)

Mark Hendrick Excerpts

Committee stage
Tuesday 2nd November 2021 Public Bill Committees

[Chair]

Andy, can I say that we have several more questioners, so I ask for shorter questions and, with respect to the panel, shorter answers.

[Andy Slaughter]

Q I will ask one more very quick question. Is there anything else in the Justice Committee report that you would like to see incorporated in the Bill? Perhaps list it rather than explain it.

Louise Finer: I will be as brief as I can. There are many issues in the Justice Committee report and many recommendations for an appeals process, a coroner service inspectorate, and a national coroner service, which would help to eliminate the inconsistency in the system. We support all those recommendations and would welcome any of them being incorporated in the Bill. Most importantly, the Justice Committee called for families to be put at the heart of the inquest process. What we are concerned about is that clauses in the Bill could actually go the opposite way. Instead of putting families at the heart, it could make it even harder for families to participate effectively.