Report on last night’s Report Stage debate in the Lords

Thanks to the wonders of Hansard, here is the list of the peers who last night voted (sadly, unsuccessfully) to delete secret courts from the Justice and Security Bill, with their party affiliation. I am immensely proud that sixteen of the twenty-five who voted to remove secret courts from the Bill were Liberal Democrats. Three peers from Labour, three Crossbenchers, two Non-affiliated and one Plaid Cymru also voted against secret courts. Importantly, Lord Pannick, who proposed many of the amendments that were successfully carried earlier in the debate and whose views are very influential, voted to remove clause 6.

There were undoubtedly improvements from the authoritarian oppressive draft proposed by the government, but secret courts are still there in this Bill. While the Bill includes secret courts, we will continue to fight it.

The Today programme this morning is reporting a government source indicating they will try and overturn the JCHR amendments (proposed by Lord Pannick and others) in the Commons. In other words, the government wants the Bill in its oppressive entirely one-sided original form. This is very troubling news.

We will be looking at the outcome of the debates, and the government’s response, very carefully over the next few days. The Third Reading of the Bill in the Lords is due to take place on 28.11.12.

In the meantime we will be writing to thank all the peers who voted against secret courts. They deserve our respect, thanks and support:

Bath and Wells, Bp. (Non-affiliated)
Brinton, B. (Liberal Democrat)
Clement-Jones, L. (Liberal Democrat)
Doocey, B. (Liberal Democrat)
Dubs, L. [Teller] (Labour)
Greaves, L. (Liberal Democrat)
Hamwee, B. (Liberal Democrat)
Hussain, L. (Liberal Democrat)
Judd, L. (Labour)
Kennedy of The Shaws, B. (Labour)
Kidron, B. (Crossbencher)
Linklater of Butterstone, B. (Liberal Democrat)
Macdonald of River Glaven, L. (Liberal Democrat)
Maclennan of Rogart, L. (Liberal Democrat)
Pannick, L. (Crossbencher)
Roberts of Llandudno, L. (Liberal Democrat)
Scott of Needham Market, B. (Liberal Democrat)
Shipley, L. (Liberal Democrat)
Stern, B. (Crossbencher)
Strasburger, L. (Liberal Democrat)
Thomas of Gresford, L. [Teller] (Liberal Democrat)
Tonge, B. (Non-affiliated)
Tope, L. (Liberal Democrat)
Walmsley, B. (Liberal Democrat)
Wigley, L.(Plaid Cymru)