HC Deb 19 January 2000 vol 342 cc503-4W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what written material on the Human Rights Act 1998 has been prepared for judges; and if he will place copies in the Library. [103830]

Mr. Lock

The Judicial Studies board for Northern Ireland has held five lectures on several European Conventions on Human Rights topics since February 1998. The following material was provided

  • Incorporation of the ECHR—The right hon. Lord Irvine of Lairg.
  • The Human Rights Bill: Its effect on Criminal Proceedings— Ben Emmerson
  • The European Convention on Human Rights (as amended by Protocol No. 11) booklet—European Treaty Series, No. 5.
  • The Human Rights Act and Commercial Law—Michael Smyth.
  • ECHR and Judicial Review, Briefing Public Policy— Incorporation of the ECHR—The Implications for Business— Murray Hunt.

The Board's programme for 1999–2000 includes a series of three case study events covering civil law, family law and criminal law. A comprehensive pack of reading materials (including case studies, publications and other reading materials) have been issued, in order that the judiciary may prepare for the seminars. The materials included in the pack are as follows: The Margin of Appreciation, The 'Horizontal' Application of Human Rights and Proportionality—the right hon. Lord Justice Sedley. The Human Rights Act and the Civil Courts—Richard Plender QC. Human Rights Act 1998 (Blackstone's)—John Wadham and Helen Mountfield. Human Rights Law and Practice—Chapters 1 & 2 of Lester and Pannick (Butterworths). Family Law and the Human Rights Act 1998—Michael Horowitz QC, Michael Nicholls and Geoffrey Kingcote. Archbold Chapter 16—Ben Emmerson. Civil Law, Family Law and Criminal Law case studies and Notes of Cases relevant to the Syndicate Exercises.

In addition, steps are being taken to ensure the availability of European Convention on Human Rights case law and textbooks in all court offices before the Act is commenced and the Northern Ireland Court Service intranet will have a Human Rights section which will permit the judiciary access to Northern Ireland judgments, judgments from England and Wales and Scotland and access to Human Rights websites. The purchase of subscription based Human Rights internet products is also being considered.

A complete set of the material issued to date by the Judicial Studies Board for Northern Ireland has been placed in the Library.

Mr. McNamara

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the budget is for judicial training in Northern Ireland on the Human Rights Act 1998. [103829]

Mr. Lock

Following the Comprehensive Spending Review allocation, the Northern Ireland Court Service received (in the 1999–2000 financial year) £100,000 to fund judicial training on the Human Rights Act 1998. The allocation was in addition to the Judicial Studies Board annual budget of £30,000, a substantial proportion of which has been used during the years 1998–99 and 1999–2000 to fund the Board's programme of Human Rights Act training.