Judicial Review and Courts Bill — Second Reading — 26 Oct 2021 at 17:49

The majority of MPs voted for a series of measures intended to streamline and modernise elements of the justice system.

MPs were considering the Judicial Review and Courts Bill.^[1][2][3]

The motion supported by the majority of MPs in this vote was:

• That the Bill be now read a Second time.

Support for the motion enabled the Bill to continue on its path to becoming law.

The Bill provided for:

• * Changes to the Judicial Review rules, including introducing a suspended quashing order as a possible outcome, giving Parliament, or public bodies, time to respond to a decision and removing the ability to seek a judicial review of a decision by the Upper Tribunal on if to allow an appeal from the First-tier Tribunal.
• * For certain individuals who plead guilty to be dealt with "online without the involvement of the court [or magistrate]" if the defendant agrees.
• * To remove the need for a plea hearing in the magistrates' court in certain types of case, enabling the plea to be submitted in writing or online.
• * The establishment of an Online Procedure Rule Committee to propose the rules for when, and how, court cases may be initiated, conducted, progressed, participated-in or disposed of by electronic means.
• * "To allow virtual hearings in coroners’ courts"
• * "To allow a coroner to discontinue an investigation where the cause of death is natural causes, without a post-mortem examination"
• * "To allow inquests to proceed without a hearing in non-contentious cases"
• * To revoke provisions which currently place duties on the Corporation of London to provide county and magistrates court capacity at the current locations.

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• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Judicial Review and Courts Bill, Parliament.uk
• [2] Judicial Review and Courts Bill as introduced on 21 July 2021, Parliament.uk
• [3] Explanatory notes to the Judicial Review and Courts Bill as introduced on 21 July 2021, Parliament.uk

Debate in Parliament |