Constitutional Affairs Committee
Encyclopedia
The Commons Constitutional Affairs Committee (est. January 2003) of the United Kingdom
was a select committee of the House of Commons
which looked into the expenditure, policy and administration of the Department for Constitutional Affairs
and associated public bodies. Following the reorganization of the Department of Constitutional Affairs and Home Affairs Committee
and until the end of the 2006-2007 parliamentary session, the committee oversaw the Ministry of Justice
. The committee has been replaced by the Justice Committee
.
The Committee's remit also covered other departments for which the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs
(subsequently Minister for Justice) and Lord Chancellor
is responsible to Parliament
, namely, the HM Courts Service, HM Land Registry, the Public Record Office, the Northern Ireland Court Service, and the Legal Service Commission. The Committee has also launched an Inquiry into the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act.
In March 2006, the committee said it would inquire into party funding and would interview the Labour party's chief fundraiser Lord Levy who had been implicated in the Cash for Peerages
scandal.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
was a select committee of the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
which looked into the expenditure, policy and administration of the Department for Constitutional Affairs
Department for Constitutional Affairs
The Department for Constitutional Affairs was a United Kingdom government department. Its creation was announced on 12 June 2003 with the intention of replacing the Lord Chancellor's Department...
and associated public bodies. Following the reorganization of the Department of Constitutional Affairs and Home Affairs Committee
Home Affairs Select Committee
The Home Affairs Select Committee is a Committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Remit:The Home Affairs Committee is one of the House of Commons Select Committees related to government departments: its terms of reference are to examine "the expenditure,...
and until the end of the 2006-2007 parliamentary session, the committee oversaw the Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Justice is a ministerial department of the UK Government headed by the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, who is responsible for improvements to the justice system so that it better serves the public...
. The committee has been replaced by the Justice Committee
Justice Committee
The Justice Select Committee of the United Kingdom is a select committee of the House of Commons which scrutinizes the policy, administration, and spending of the Ministry of Justice. In addition, the committee examines the work of the Law Officers of the Crown, the Serious Fraud Office , and the...
.
Remit
- Constitutional Issues, including: Church and State, and Royal matters; relations with the Channel IslandsChannel IslandsThe Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
and Isle of ManIsle of ManThe Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
; electoral law; party funding - The Courts and Tribunals (but excluding individual cases)
- Judicial Matters, including: judicial appointments, training and conduct; appointments to tribunals; appointment of QCQueen's CounselQueen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
s (but excluding individual appointments) - Criminal Justice, including: policy and legislation affecting the criminal courts (as distinct from criminal law, which does not fall within this Committee’s remit); international and European matters affecting the criminal courts
- International Legal Matters
- Civil Justice and Legal Services Markets, including: legal aidLegal aidLegal aid is the provision of assistance to people otherwise unable to afford legal representation and access to the court system. Legal aid is regarded as central in providing access to justice by ensuring equality before the law, the right to counsel and the right to a fair trial.A number of...
and the Legal Services CommissionLegal Services CommissionThe Legal Services Commission is an executive non-departmental public body of the Ministry of Justice that is responsible for the operational administration of legal aid in England and Wales.-Overview:...
; private legal services and the Legal Services Ombudsman; civil court procedure and civil law; alternative dispute resolution; law reform and the Law Commission - Family Justice and the Vulnerable, including: marriageMarriageMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
, divorceDivorceDivorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
and relationship support; international child abductionInternational child abductionThe term international child abduction is generally synonymous with international parental kidnapping, child snatching, and child stealing. However, the more precise legal usage of international child abduction originates in private international law and refers to the illegal removal of children...
; mental incapacityMental illnessA mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
; the Public Guardianship OfficePublic Guardianship OfficeThe Office of the Public Guardian in England and Wales is a government body that, within the framework of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, protects the private assets and supervises the financial affairs of people who lack mental capacity for making decisions. It is an executive agency of the...
; the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee; transsexual people
The Committee's remit also covered other departments for which the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs
Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs
The Secretary of State for Justice is a senior position in the cabinet of the United Kingdom. It was created in 2007 replacing the abolished Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, which was originally intended to fulfil those functions of the office of Lord Chancellor which related to the...
(subsequently Minister for Justice) and Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
is responsible to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, namely, the HM Courts Service, HM Land Registry, the Public Record Office, the Northern Ireland Court Service, and the Legal Service Commission. The Committee has also launched an Inquiry into the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act.
In March 2006, the committee said it would inquire into party funding and would interview the Labour party's chief fundraiser Lord Levy who had been implicated in the Cash for Peerages
Cash for Peerages
Cash for Honours is the name given by some in the media to a political scandal in the United Kingdom in 2006 and 2007 concerning the connection between political donations and the award of life peerages...
scandal.