Tuesday 10 March 2026 - House of Commons. The government's Courts and Tribunals Bill passed second reading in the House of Commons. The voting was 304 to 203. Ten Labour MPs voted against the Bill.
The debate may be read at Hansard 10 March.
This previous post looked at the Bill in greater detail.
The Bill will now proceed to Committee Stage and opponents of the Bill (including some who chose to abstain at second reading) hope to secure amendments.
In summary, the Bill
Churchill spoke of a "special relationship" between the United States of America and, as he phrased it, "the British Commonwealth and Empire."
He also spoke of an "Iron Curtain" which had descended across Europe from "Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic."
Churchill urged adherence to the United Nations Charter which, at the time of the speech, had been in force less than 5 months.
80 years later, the UN continues
With addition Wednesday 4 March 2026
The government's Courts and Tribunals Bill contains provision enabling the Secretary of State to make a Statutory Instrument increasing the sentencing powers of Magistrates' Courts up to a maximum of 24 months - see the Bill Clause 6.
The overall impact of the Bill will be to bring a considerable number of trials for either-way offences into the Magistrates' Courts.
In turn, that will remove legal aid (for representation) from such offences unless the defendant is able to meet BOTH the interests of justice test and the MEANS test.
Inevitably, that will require many defendants on serious charges to have to either defend themselves or pay for legal representation.
UK Government - Criteria for Criminal Legal Aid
Previous Post - Courts and Tribunals Bill
Addition 4 March 2026
Criminal Bar Association Monday Message 2 March 2026 and see their Nutshell Guide to the Courts and Tribunals Bill
House of Commons - 25 February 2026 - the government introduced the Courts and Tribunals Bill.
The Bill follows on from the Reports by retired judge Sir Brian Leveson -
The Leveson Recommendations:
The most striking
With Updates
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office - BBC News 19 February 2026.
Parliament is in the process of replacing this common law offence (but not retrospectively) - see previous post 4 February 2026.
Only HM The King has personal immunity from prosecution or civil action - (see note)
The elements of the offence were set out in Attorney General's Reference 3/2003 reported at [2004] EWCA Crim 868. At para 61 of the judgment, the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) summarised the requirements:
According to Erskine May - 'There are opposition parties but only one is regarded as the 'Official Opposition' and that is the largest minority party which is prepared, in the event of the resignation of the government, to assume office.' (Erskine May para 4.6).
The Leader of the Opposition and some of the Leader's principal colleagues in both Houses form a group, known as ‘the Shadow Cabinet’, each member of which is given a particular range of activities on which it is their task to direct criticism of the Government's policy and administration and to outline alternative policies.
Notes to editors inform us that:
