§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Attorney-General why the Lord Chancellor will not make it his practice that no person be appointed a judge until such time as he can prove that he has resigned from and taken no part in the activities of any known political organisation for 10 years at least prior to such an appointment.
The Solicitor-GeneralIf the Lord Chancellor were to follow the practice suggested by the hon. Member, the effect would be to deprive both Houses of Parliament and the political parties of the valuable services of members of the legal profession who hope eventually to serve on the Bench and to deprive the Bench of able practitioners who can bring to it valuable parliamentary and other political experience.