Committees

Role of the Lord Chancellor and the Law Officers

Inquiry

The Lord Chancellor and the Law Officers (the Attorney General, Solicitor General and Advocate General for Scotland) are Government ministers with particular constitutional and legal responsibilities (notably, in upholding the rule of law).

This inquiry will focus on how these roles currently operate and how they have evolved since the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, which fundamentally altered the role of the Lord Chancellor. In particular it will examine the extent to which office holders are able to remain impartial given their position in the executive branch of Government, and whether their ability to uphold the rule of law and defend the independence of the judiciary is affected.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was Friday 18 March 2022.

Upcoming events

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Past events

Wednesday 7 September 2022
10:00am Private
10:15am Public
Role of the Lord Chancellor and the Law Officers - Oral evidence 7 September 2022
10:15am
  • The Rt Hon Jack Straw (former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (2007-10) at Ministry of Justice)
Room 4A, Palace of Westminster
Wednesday 6 July 2022
10:00am Private
10:15am Public
Role of the Lord Chancellor and the Law Officers - Oral evidence 6 July 2022
10:15am
  • The Rt Hon. the Lord Garnier KC (former Solicitor General for England and Wales (2010-12) at Attorney General's Office)
  • The Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC (former Attorney General for England and Wales, and Advocate General for Northern Ireland (2010-14) at Attorney General's Office)
Room 2, Palace of Westminster
Wednesday 22 June 2022
10:00am Private
10:15am Public
Role of the Lord Chancellor and the Law Officers - Oral evidence 22 June 2022
10:15am
  • The Rt Hon David Gauke (former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (2018-19) at Ministry of Justice)
  • The Rt Hon. the Lord Clarke of Nottingham CH KC (former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (2010-12) at Ministry of Justice)
Room 4A, Palace of Westminster
Wednesday 8 June 2022
10:45am Private
11:00am Public
Role of the Lord Chancellor and the Law Officers - Oral evidence 8 June 2022
11:00am
  • The Rt Hon. the Lord Mackay of Clashfern KT (former Lord Chancellor (1987-97) at Lord Chancellor's Department, former Lord of Appeal in Ordinary (1985-87) at House of Lords, former Judge (1984-85) at Supreme Court of Scotland, former Lord Advocate (1979-84) at Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and Lord Clerk Register of Scotland and Keeper of the Signet at National Records of Scotland and Registers of Scotland)
Room 4, Palace of Westminster

Contact us

  • Email: constitution@parliament.uk
  • Phone: 020 7219 3871 (committee staff) | 020 7219 8286 (Press Officer)
  • Address: Constitution Committee, House of Lords, London SW1A 0PW