Member

The good thing about court rules is they provide a more flexible mechanism. They can adapt as technology evolves without the need for primary legislation; they can be tested in consultation both with experts and those they will affect, and they can be tweaked quickly, should it become necessary. We are confident that this is the right way forward to achieve the objectives of my noble friend’s amendment, in a manner that is both practical and legally defensible. I have discussed this in some detail with my noble friends Lady Chakrabarti and Lord Beamish, the noble Lord, Lord Arbuthnot, and the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron. We can and will continue to discuss it with them to make sure we get this right. I absolutely agree to further meetings with the noble Lord, Lord Arbuthnot, and anybody he wishes to bring to them—in fact, I already know Sam Stein; I think we may have been called to the Bar at the same time.