Withdrawal Agreement: Legal Advice Debate

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Department: Attorney General

Withdrawal Agreement: Legal Advice

Will Quince Excerpts
Thursday 29th November 2018

(5 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Robert Buckland Portrait The Solicitor General
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I am not going to speculate about votes that were held or not held. I know what the position of the House is. We are seeking to satisfy that through the appearance of the Attorney General on Monday.

Will Quince Portrait Will Quince (Colchester) (Con)
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I welcome the news that the Attorney General will be coming before the House on Monday, but does my hon. and learned Friend share my concern about the precedent that this may set for publishing legal advice? Where would that leave legal privilege, the cornerstone of our legal justice system?

Robert Buckland Portrait The Solicitor General
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I do not intend to repeat the remarks that I made in the debate, but as I said, there are good reasons why there is a convention for Law Officers. It is not just for the convenience of lawyers; it is for the rule of law to stay at the heart of collective Cabinet decision making. I would have thought that everybody in this House would want that.