Summary
In its Green Paper
'The
Governance of Britain' (Cm. 7170), the Government set out proposals for
radical constitutional reform to rebalance power between the executive,
legislature and the people.
Among the proposals to improve the
engagement between Parliament and the people were:
- A commitment to
reforming the role of the Attorney General
- Changes to the system of
Public Petitions and Early Day Motions.
Reforming the
role of the Attorney General
As both a politician and an
independent legal adviser, the Attorney General's roles in enhancing the
administration of justice, the maintenance of the rule of the law and the
protection of the public interest have the potential to create tension with
each other.
The consultation proposed in this Paper
‘The
Governance of Britain: A Consultation on the Role of the Attorney General’
(Cm. 7192) will consider suggestions set out in the Report of the Commons
Constitutional Affairs Select Committee
'Constitutional
Role of the Attorney General' (HC 306) along with other options for reform.
This consultation document seeks answers to six questions:
- Should the role of chief legal advisor be split from the role of government
minister?
- What is the reaction to proposals that would instead limit
the Attorney General’s attendance at Cabinet?
- Should the legal
advice to government be published?
- Should there be changes in the role
in relation to criminal prosecutions?
- Are any changes needed to the
public interest function?
- Are any other changes needed?
Changes to Public Petitions and Early Day Motions
Proposals
in the Green Paper
'The
Governance of Britain' (Cm. 7170) included improving the engagement between
Parliament and the people. This involved changes to the public petitions
system, such as the use of e-petitions
This Paper
‘The
Governance of Britain - Petitions’ (Cm. 7193) sets out the Government's
response to the Procedure Committee's inquiry
'Public
Petitions and Early Day Motions’ (HC 513) and recognises that further
consideration is needed to determine how far modern technology could be used to
make it easier for members of the public to petition Parliament.
What
is a Public Petition?
What is an Early Day
Motion?
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