Law and Rights
The Supreme Court of the U.K. has ruled that parliamentary privilege does not protect David Chaytor, Eliot Morley and Jim Devine from being tried in the Crown Court in relation to expenses claims they submitted to the parliamentary authorities. The court's reasoned judgment is to be published later. See Supreme Court announcement and The Independent 10th November.
The Solicitors Journal also covers this story.
Law and Lawyers has previously looked at this case. Please see "Parliamentary Privilege and the expenses claims - 9th February 2010" and, most recently, "A world apart from ordinary justice - almost a parallel universe - 20th October."
A great deal has been made of this case and, no doubt, considerable amounts of money have been spent. The Supreme Court has reached a sensible, and with the greatest of respect, obvious ruling which is in line with common sense. Parliamentary Privilege has the purpose of protecting members in relation to what they do in debate and in parliamentary committees. It is understood that the men received legal aid - see BBC 12th April. This was granted before "means testing" was introduced into Crown Court legal aid. Costs to date are likely to be in the region of £3m.
- Parliamentary Privilege And The Expenses Claims - Supreme Court Judgment
The Supreme Court has issued judgment in the Parliamentary "Expenses Claims" case - see here. A press summary is available - here. For the earlier Law and Lawyers posts on this see here. The Supreme Court has clarified that it is for...
- Mps Expenses Case: Judicial Ruling Favours Trial Before Impartial Jury
Law and Lawyers covered the MP's expenses case here. The trial judge, Saunders J, has ruled that no bar to a trial before judge and jury can be based on parliamentary privilege. Saunders J is reported as having said that there was no logical,...
- Mps To Get Legal Aid.
It has been announced that the M.P.s charged in relation to their expenses claim will receive legal aid to pay for their defence - see Daily Mail 13th April. Law and Lawyers has posted on this case before - see here. Certain media headlines...
- Does The Bill Of Rights 1689 Offer A Defence To Mps?
Three members of the House of Commons and one peer attended City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday 11th March 2010 - see The Times 12th March. They face various charges under the Theft Act 1968 s.17 (False Accounting). In court...
- Parliamentary Privilege And The Expenses Claims
In the post Money, Money, Money (below) the possibility of using parliamentary privilege as a defence to charges under the Theft Act 1968 s.17 was mentioned. [The CPS had referred to that possibility in their press release]. The concern is...
Law and Rights
Parliamentary Privilege and the expenses claims
The Solicitors Journal also covers this story.
Law and Lawyers has previously looked at this case. Please see "Parliamentary Privilege and the expenses claims - 9th February 2010" and, most recently, "A world apart from ordinary justice - almost a parallel universe - 20th October."
A great deal has been made of this case and, no doubt, considerable amounts of money have been spent. The Supreme Court has reached a sensible, and with the greatest of respect, obvious ruling which is in line with common sense. Parliamentary Privilege has the purpose of protecting members in relation to what they do in debate and in parliamentary committees. It is understood that the men received legal aid - see BBC 12th April. This was granted before "means testing" was introduced into Crown Court legal aid. Costs to date are likely to be in the region of £3m.
- Parliamentary Privilege And The Expenses Claims - Supreme Court Judgment
The Supreme Court has issued judgment in the Parliamentary "Expenses Claims" case - see here. A press summary is available - here. For the earlier Law and Lawyers posts on this see here. The Supreme Court has clarified that it is for...
- Mps Expenses Case: Judicial Ruling Favours Trial Before Impartial Jury
Law and Lawyers covered the MP's expenses case here. The trial judge, Saunders J, has ruled that no bar to a trial before judge and jury can be based on parliamentary privilege. Saunders J is reported as having said that there was no logical,...
- Mps To Get Legal Aid.
It has been announced that the M.P.s charged in relation to their expenses claim will receive legal aid to pay for their defence - see Daily Mail 13th April. Law and Lawyers has posted on this case before - see here. Certain media headlines...
- Does The Bill Of Rights 1689 Offer A Defence To Mps?
Three members of the House of Commons and one peer attended City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday 11th March 2010 - see The Times 12th March. They face various charges under the Theft Act 1968 s.17 (False Accounting). In court...
- Parliamentary Privilege And The Expenses Claims
In the post Money, Money, Money (below) the possibility of using parliamentary privilege as a defence to charges under the Theft Act 1968 s.17 was mentioned. [The CPS had referred to that possibility in their press release]. The concern is...