Robert Buckland Weblog

A beautiful September is passing,  and I have been visiting residents and helping to deliver leaflets in the sun.  The previous two working weeks brought me to Birmingham and Baku respectively,  plus a chance to see old friends at the Fortieth Birthday Party of blog reader Tom Barton.

Why Birmingham?  I was completing a week of training that I must do before being allowed to sit as a Recorder, or part time Circuit Judge.  Seeing proceedings from the Judge’s bench puts an entirely different complexion upon the place where I have spent eighteen years of my working life.   The well of the Court and those in it seem much closer than I realised.  We could hear counsel talking quietly, which made me realise that all my sotto voce remarks in courts over the years were probably heard by the Judge.  Oh dear.

It may seem an obvious  point to make, but sitting alongside a Judge brings home very powerfully the fact that they bear a huge weight of responsibility.  Presiding over trials that may determine the liberty or otherwise of another human being, passing sentences, hearing appeals – all these processes depend very much upon the conduct and capability of the Judge.  It is all rather nerve-wracking, frankly.  Birmingham is not a Crown Court where I have appeared before, so sitting there will mean that I avoid any potential for embarassment or conflict.

Any politicians who are in the habit of  makng critical comments about the Courts should take some time to sit with our Judges, I think.

My daily walk to and from Court took me past Birmingham Cathedral, formerly St. Phillip’s Parish Church.  Buit in the reign of Queen Anne, it is small but delightful.  Its concave tower is elegant, and it has four large stained glass windows by Burne-Jones, which are amongst the finest glass I have ever seen in England.  Although the war years and the 1960′s were not kind to the city, Birmingham has blossomed into an attractive and varied centre in recent years.

The week that has just passed involved a complete change of scene.  I visited Azerbaijan for four days,  staying in Baku.  I was with a group of Conservative Parliamentary Candidates.  Our aim was to find out as much as we could about the country and its political direction.  A former Soviet Republic until the early 1990s, Azerbaijan is sandwiched between mighty Russia and powerful Iran.  Its 8 million Azeri population has seen the largest growth in GDP of any country in the world over recent years.  Even in the recession, its economy continues to grow.

Like the other countries of the Southern Caucasus region, Azeris have a large diaspora.  About 30 million Azeris live in Iran.  The losing candidate in the late Presidential election, Mr. Mosawi, is an ethnic Azeri.  The story of the Azeris and their importance in the region has been somewhat overshadowed by the tragic history of the Armenians and the troubles of modern Georgia.

Azerbaijan has the structures that equate to a modern democracy, but the true lines of power are far from clear in an economy that is bursting at the seams.  Since 1994, BP has had a huge presence in the country, and oilmen from Aberdeen keep coming and going.  Britain sees Azerbaijan as both economically and politically important, with a significant diplomatic presence in Baku.

Like a lot of countries in this region, Azerbaijan has its oligarchs and its unofficial channels of influence.  It is my hope that the country will continue evolve in the direction of openness and accountability, not just because this accords with my particular view of democracy, but because admittance to organisations such as the World Trade Organisation and the EU will depend upon such progress.

Azerbaijan lies at the gateway of Europe from Asia.  I was glad to be able to discuss the issues of drug trafficking and people trafficking with government representatives, and very much hope that Britain will be able to work bilaterally with Azerbaijan on these issues.