(236)  SUPREME COURT CONSULTATION PAPER PUBLISHED

The new Department of Constitutional Affairs published its consultation paper, Constitutional Reform: A Supreme Court for the United Kingdom (CP 11/03) on 14 July 2003.  It is available at

 

http://www.lcd.gov.uk/consult/supremecourt/supreme.pdf

 

The paper proposes the replacement of the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords with a Supreme Court which would also subsume the devolution jurisdiction of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.  The Court would not however be a constitutional court with power to overturn primary legislation, nor is it proposed that the Court should have jurisdiction in Scottish criminal appeals.  It would be separated completely from the legislature and the executive.  Consultation is sought on issues of appointment, including ensuring representation from Scotland and Northern Ireland, and on the titles of the Court’s judges.  One possibility canvassed is a recommending commission, with representation from all three jurisdictions.