Robert Buckland Weblog

The pre-election season is generating predictable heat in the media, but all too little light.  Taiwanese TV news’s decision to stage a  cartoon re-construction of the Prime Minister’s alleged behaviour towards his staff was the final straw for me.  This election will not be won or lost on issues such as this.   A plain-spoken and [...]

The title of the Minstry of Justice  report about Juries may have been an unintentional reminder of the agenda of at least some in Government.  “Are Juries Fair?” was a question that I did not think needed asking, but in attempting to answer the question, the report has thrown a large dose of cold water [...]

A rare visit to the Palace of Westminster on Tuesday night to take part in a meeting of the newly-formed London Welsh Laywers Association.  Chaired by Winston Roddick QC, Leader of the Wales and Chester Circuit, I shared a panel with Lord Morris of Aberavon, former Welsh Secretary and Attorney-General, Elfyn Llwyd MP, Leader of Plaid [...]

Last night, I was the guest of the Swindon Amnesty Group , who hold regular meetings at the Friends Meeting House on Eastcott Hill. I Whilst I am not in agreement with many of the standpoints taken by Amnesty, a round table discussion with members revealed that there was much that we could agree upon as [...]

The date of the General Election remains a secret known only to the Prime Minister.   The smart money is still on May 6th, but there remains a chance of a March election, which is why the national campaigns began before the last Christmas decorations were taken down.  These weeks and months require unusual stamina from [...]

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has published its report on the procurement of Legal Aid in England and Wales by the Legal Services Commission.   It does not make for pleasant reading if you are a senior official in the LSC.   You may be expecting me to launch into a diatribe about the fate [...]