Mr. John M. TaylorTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement about future rights of audience in the higher courts of(a) members of the Crown Prosecution Service, (b) the proposed Community Legal Service and (c) the proposed Criminal Defence Service. [81571]
§ Mr. HoonThe Government will seek to amend the Access to Justice Bill to ensure that full rights of audience in the higher courts are exercisable by lawyers employed by the Crown Prosecution Service, the Community Legal Service and the Criminal Defence Service, subject to individual lawyers satisfying the qualification requirements and rules of conduct of the appropriate authorised body. The Government will seek to reinstate clauses defeated in the House of Lords which provided rights of audience in the higher courts for employed advocates, and enabled the Legal Services Commission to provide criminal defence services through its own employees. They will also seek to amend Clause 33 to provide rights of audience to employees of bodies established and maintained by the Legal Services Commission.