§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will issue guidance to the judges setting out the way in which the principle of the separation of powers should operate. [79432]
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§ Mr. HoonJudicial education is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB), which is an independent non-departmental public body and is chaired by Lord Justice Henry.
The JSB does not issue policy guidance, but its training seminars enable judges to learn from experienced judges, academics and other experts, and to discuss constitutional issues. The planned JSB training on the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights will provide a further opportunity for judges to address the separation of powers. In any event the doctrine of the separation of powers is well understood by the judiciary as a whole.