Session 2012 - 13
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament


 
 

11

 

House of Commons

 
 

Tuesday 5 February 2013

 

Public Bill Committee Proceedings

 

Justice and Security Bill [Lords]


 

[FIFTH AND SIXTH SITTINGS]


 

Clause 6.

 

Another Amendment (No. 55) proposed, in page 4, line 21, to leave out subsections (2)

 

to (6) and insert—

 

‘(1B)    

The court may make such a declaration if it considers that the following two

 

conditions are met.

 

(1C)    

The first condition, in a case where the court is considering whether to make a

5

declaration on the application of the Secretary of State or of its own motion, is

 

that—

 

(a)    

a party to the proceedings (whether or not the Secretary of State) would

 

be required to disclose sensitive material in the course of the proceedings

 

to another person (whether or not another party to the proceedings), or

10

(b)    

a party to the proceedings (whether or not the Secretary of State) would

 

be required to make such a disclosure were it not for one or more of the

 

following—

 

(i)    

the possibility of a claim for public interest immunity in relation

 

to the material,

15

(ii)    

the fact that there would be no requirement to disclose if the

 

person concerned chose not to rely on the material,

 

(iii)    

section 17(1) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

 

2000 (exclusion for intercept material),

 

(iv)    

any other enactment that would prevent the party from disclosing

20

the material but would not do so if the proceedings were

 

proceedings in relation to which there was a declaration under

 

this section.

 

(1D)    

The first condition, in a case where the court is considering whether to make a

 

declaration on the application of a party to the proceedings (other than the

25

Secretary of State), is that—

 

(a)    

the applicant would be required to disclose sensitive material in the

 

course of the proceedings to another person (whether or not another party

 

to the proceedings), or

 

(b)    

the applicant would be required to make such a disclosure were it not for

30

one or more of the following—

 

(i)    

the possibility of a claim for public interest immunity in relation

 

to the material,

 

(ii)    

the fact that there would be no requirement to disclose if the

 

applicant chose not to rely on the material,


 
 

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5 February 2013        

12

 

Justice and Security Bill [Lords] continued

 

35

(iii)    

section 17(1) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

 

2000 (exclusion for intercept material),

 

(iv)    

any other enactment that would prevent the applicant from

 

disclosing the material but would not do so if the proceedings

 

were proceedings in relation to which there was a declaration

40

under this section.

 

(1E)    

The second condition is that it is in the interests of the fair and effective

 

administration of justice in the proceedings to make a declaration.

 

(1F)    

The two conditions are met if the court considers that they are met in relation to

 

any material that would be required to be disclosed in the course of the

45

proceedings (and an application under subsection (1A)(a) need not be based on

 

all of the material that might meet the conditions).

 

(1G)    

A declaration under this section must identify the party or parties to the

 

proceedings who would be required to disclose the sensitive material (“a relevant

 

person”).’.—(James Brokenshire)

 

 

Agreed to on division

 

As Amendments to James Brokenshire’s proposed Amendment (No. 55):—

 

Dr Julian Huppert

 

Mike Crockart

 

Negatived on division  (a)

 

Line  1,  leave out ‘(6)’ and insert (4)’.

 

Mr Andy Slaughter

 

Negatived on division  (d)

 

Line  2,  leave out ‘two conditions are’ and insert ‘condition is’.

 

Mr Andy Slaughter

 

Not called  (e)

 

Line  4,  leave out ‘first’.

 

Dr Julian Huppert

 

Mike Crockart

 

Negatived on division  (b)

 

Line  4,  leave out from ‘condition’ to ‘is’ in line 5.

 

Mr Andy Slaughter

 

Not called  (f)

 

Line  5,  after ‘State’, insert ‘or a party’.

 

Mr Andy Slaughter

 

Not called  (g)

 

Line  9,  leave out from ‘proceedings),’ to end of line 46 and insert—

 

‘(b)    

such a disclosure would be damaging to the interests of national security,

 

(c)    

the degree of harm to the interests of national security if the material is

 

disclosed would be likely to outweigh the public interest in the fair and

 

open administration of justice, and

 

(d)    

a fair determination of the proceedings is not possible by any other

 

means.


 
 

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5 February 2013        

13

 

Justice and Security Bill [Lords] continued

 
 

(1C)    

In deciding whether a party to the proceedings would be required to disclose

 

material, the court must ignore—

 

(a)    

section 17(1) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

 

(exclusion for intercept material), and

 

(b)    

any other enactment that would prevent the applicant from disclosing the

 

material but would not do so if the proceedings were proceedings in

 

relation to which there was a declaration under this section.

 

(1D)    

Before making an application under subsection (1), the Secretary of State must

 

consider whether to make, or advise another person to make, a claim for public

 

interest immunity in relation to the material on which the application would be

 

based.

 

(1E)    

Before making a declaration under subsection (1), the court must consider

 

whether a claim for public interest immunity could have been made in relation to

 

the material.’.

 

Dr Julian Huppert

 

Mike Crockart

 

Not called  (c)

 

Leave out lines 23 to 40.

 

Dr Julian Huppert

 

Mike Crockart

 

Not called  52

 

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  3,  leave out ‘subsection (2)’ and insert ‘this section’.

 

Mr Andy Slaughter

 

Not called  68

 

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  3,  leave out from ‘must’ to end of line 5 and insert—

 

‘(a)    

ensure that the material is disclosed to a special advocate,

 

(b)    

determine whether a claim for public interest immunity could have been

 

made in relation to any part of the material, and

 

(c)    

order disclosure of any part of the material to which public interest

 

immunity would not apply.

 

(6A)    

In making a determination pursuant to subsection 2(d), the court—

 

(a)    

must not make such a determination solely by reason of the fact that such

 

material would be excluded by the operation of the doctrine of public

 

interest immunity; and

 

(b)    

must only make such a determination if otherwise the proceedings would

 

be struck out pursuant to any rule of law; and

 

(c)    

must only make such a determination if the court is satisfied that the

 

unfairness to the relevant person or the Secretary of State by not making

 

a declaration under this section would be substantially greater than the

 

unfairness to the other parties by making such a declaration.’.

 

James Brokenshire

 

Agreed to  56

 

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  12,  leave out ‘the Secretary of State’ and insert ‘a person’.

 

James Brokenshire

 

Agreed to  57

 

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  15,  after ‘section’, insert ‘or proceedings for or about such a

 

declaration’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5 February 2013        

14

 

Justice and Security Bill [Lords] continued

 
 

James Brokenshire

 

Agreed to  58

 

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  18,  leave out ‘the Secretary of State’ and insert ‘a person’.

 

James Brokenshire

 

Agreed to  59

 

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  19,  leave out ‘(1)’ and insert ‘(1A)(a)’.

 

James Brokenshire

 

Agreed to  60

 

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  19,  leave out ‘Secretary of State’s’ and insert ‘person’s’.

 

James Brokenshire

 

Agreed to  61

 

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  20,  leave out ‘all of the parties’ and insert ‘every other person

 

entitled to make such an application in relation’.

 

James Brokenshire

 

Agreed to  62

 

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  22,  leave out ‘Secretary of State’ and insert ‘applicant’.

 

James Brokenshire

 

Agreed to  63

 

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  22,  leave out from ‘inform’ to first ‘of’ in line 23 and insert

 

‘every other such person’.

 

Mr Andy Slaughter

 

Withdrawn  69

 

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  32,  at end add ‘except for proceedings which arise in

 

connection with the claimant’s loss of liberty.’.

 

James Brokenshire

 

Agreed to  64

 

Clause  6,  page  5,  line  32,  at end add—

 

‘“sensitive material” means material the disclosure of which would be

 

damaging to the interests of national security.’.

 

Clause, as amended, Agreed to on division.

 


 

Mr Andy Slaughter

 

Negatived on division  71

 

Clause  7,  page  5,  line  47,  at end add ‘ and that damage outweighs the public interest

 

in the fair and open administration of justice,’.

 

Dr Julian Huppert

 

Mike Crockart

 

Negatived on division  1

 

Clause  7,  page  6,  line  2,  leave out ‘consider requiring’ and insert ‘require’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5 February 2013        

15

 

Justice and Security Bill [Lords] continued

 
 

Dr Julian Huppert

 

Mike Crockart

 

Negatived on division  2

 

Clause  7,  page  6,  line  4,  at end insert ‘sufficient to enable the party to whom the

 

summary is provided to give effective instructions on the undisclosed material to their

 

legal representatives and special advocates.’.

 

Dr Julian Huppert

 

Mike Crockart

 

Not called  3

 

Clause  7,  page  6,  line  5,  after ‘ensure’, insert ‘so far as it is possible to do so’.

 

Mr Andy Slaughter

 

Withdrawn  72

 

Clause  7,  page  6,  line  16,  leave out ‘authorised’ and insert ‘required’.

 

Mr Andy Slaughter

 

Not called  73

 

Clause  7,  page  6,  line  21,  leave out ‘or’ and insert ‘and’.

 

Clause Agreed to.

 


 

Mr Andy Slaughhter

 

Withdrawn  74

 

Clause  8,  page  6,  line  28,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘must’.

 

Mr Andy Slaughter

 

Not called  70

 

Clause  8,  page  6,  line  40,  at end insert—

 

‘(4A)    

Rules of court relating to any relevant civil proceedings in relation to which there

 

is a declaration under section 6 proceedings must secure—

 

(a)    

that, where a party is excluded from such an application, his interests are

 

represented by a special advocate appointed in advance of the court

 

hearing such application and, if the application is granted, for the

 

duration of the section 6 proceedings and related proceedings,

 

(b)    

that the special advocate is afforded the opportunity to take instructions

 

from the party whose interests he is appointed to represent.’.

 

Clause Agreed to.

 

Clause 9 Agreed to.

 


 

Mr Andy Slaughter

 

Withdrawn  75

 

Clause  10,  page  7,  line  16,  leave out subsection (2) (b).


 
 

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5 February 2013        

16

 

Justice and Security Bill [Lords] continued

 
 

Mr Andy Slaughter

 

Withdrawn  76

 

Clause  10,  page  7,  line  27,  at end insert—

 

‘(2A)    

Rules of court relating to section 6 proceedings must make provision—

 

(a)    

requiring the court concerned to notify relevant representatives of the

 

media of proceedings in which an application for a declaration under

 

section 6 has been made,

 

(b)    

providing for any person notified under paragraph (a) to intervene in the

 

proceedings,

 

(c)    

providing for a stay or sist of relevant civil proceedings to enable anyone

 

notified under paragraph (a) to consider whether to intervene in the

 

proceedings,

 

(d)    

enabling any party to the proceedings or any intervener to apply to the

 

court concerned for a determination of whether there continues to be

 

justification for not giving full particulars of the reasons for decisions in

 

the proceedings, and

 

(e)    

requiring the court concerned, on an application under paragraph (d), to

 

publish such of the reasons for decision as the court determines can no

 

longer be justifiably withheld.’.

 

[Adjourned until Thursday at 11.30 am


 
contents
 

© Parliamentary copyright
Revised 6 February 2013