HL Deb 21 February 1979 vol 398 cc1905-6

7.49 p.m.

Read 3a.

Viscount DILHORNE

My Lords, I beg to move that the Bill do now pass.

Moved, That the Bill do now pass.—(Viscount Dilhorne.)

The LORD CHANCELLOR

My Lords, before we part with this Bill, I should like to pay a brief tribute to the noble and learned Viscount, Lord Dilhorne, for his initiative in bringing forward this Bill. It remedies a significant anomaly in the laws of evidence which has resulted in injustice in the past and may well do so in the future unless it is remedied. It deals with a highly technical and difficult point, which was explained by the noble and learned Viscount with his customary clarity. I commend this Bill, and I hope it will have a speedy passage in another place.

Lord LYELL

My Lords, I wonder whether, on behalf of my noble and learned friend Lord Hailsham, who has not been able to be here tonight, I might add his tribute and his good wishes to those of the noble and learned Lord who sits upon the Woolsack. I know that my noble and learned friend was particularly grateful for everything that was done by the noble and learned Viscount, Lord Dilhorne, and certainly I am sure he would wish to be associated with the kind words of the noble and learned Lord upon the Woolsack.

Viscount DILHORNE

My Lords, before the Question is put, may I just say, "Thank you". Owing to the fortunate circumstance that no one could devise a satisfactory Amendment to this Bill, I thought it unnecessary to say anything in moving, That the Bill do now pass, because I would merely have repeated what I said on Second Reading. But I should like to tell the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor how grateful I am, and how much I appreciate his very kind words, as I do those of the noble Lord who has also spoken. My Lords, may I say that I hope that perhaps this may form a precedent for the enactment of uncontroversial amendments to the criminal law, and I hope and trust that this Bill will have as speedy a passage in another place as it has had in this.

On Question, Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.