We’ve finally got the Supreme Court’s reasoning in R v Chaytor and others – in which former MPs and a peer argued that Parliamentary privilege prevents their being prosecuted for offences relating to their expenses claims.

As I’ve said […]

Bill Cash’s European Scrutiny Committee of the Commons is looking at the EU Bill, and in particular is considering very closely clause 18, William Hague’s “national sovereignty clause”, which I’ve written about before. If you’re as interested as I […]

Perhaps I’m missing an arcane aspect of Parliamentary procedure, or something, and “tomorrow” means “some time before long”. I did think it was a bit odd that the second reading of the EU Bill seemed to be scheduled for […]

William Hague introduced his European Union Bill in the Commons today, and it will have its second reading as early as tomorrow – a debate that will no doubt be a treat. Much of the bill makes provision to […]

It was always obvious that Parliamentary privilege doesn’t prevent the trial of MPs accused of expenses fraud – and unsurprisingly, the Supreme Court has ruled that it doesn’t. There’s no written judgment yet, but I’ll link to it when […]

All the media has been reporting the case Phil Woolas lost in the High Court yesterday, sitting as an Election Court. So you probably know his election in Oldham East and Saddleworth has to be run again, and that, […]

I know I’ve been away a few weeks – we all need a blog break occasionally – but I’m back with a bang, with a piece at the Guardian Law website yesterday on William Hague’s proposed “national sovereignty” clause, […]

Regular readers will know I’m opposed to fixed-term Parliaments. But that point of principle isn’t the only reason to be concerned about the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill.

Another day, another retreat by the coalition from a bad policy proposal. After Nick Clegg’s vision of light on 55%, now the government has taken a step back on rape anonymity, too. This is what justice minister Crispin Blunt said […]

I’m delighted that Nick Clegg has thought better of the proposal, initially agreed by the coalition, that Parliament should not be dissolved unless a majority of 55% votes for dissolution. This is what he said in his statement to […]