C. LEGAL AND PROCEDURAL ISSUES
56. EUROPEAN JUDICIAL NETWORK
Letter from Joyce Quin MP, Minister of State, Home
Office, to Lord Tordoff, Chairman of the Committee
I understand that the Scrutiny Committee will be looking
at the draft joint Action on a European Judicial Network at its
meeting on 11 November.
There has been a further development since I tabled a Home
Office Explanatory Note in July. The Luxembourg Presidency has
prepared the attached revised text. The key difference from the
earlier version is in the proposal, in Article 10, that the network
should initially be established without a telecommunications system.
The Council will decide six months later whether such a system
is necessary. This decision will be informed by a report, and
it will also take account of the members of the judicial network
themselves.
In view of our concerns about whether a dedicated telecommunications
system was needed and about the possible costs, the revised version
of the proposal is considered by the Government to be a welcome
development. The Government is now content with the proposed Joint
Action. The Presidency is expected to seek to have the Joint Action
adopted by the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 5 December.
I am afraid that the revised Joint Action is only available
in French, but I thought the Committee would wish to see it in
time for its meeting on 11 November.
29 October 1997
Letter from Lord Tordoff, Chairman of the Committee,
to Joyce Quin MP, Minister of State, Home Office
Thank you for your letter of 29 October. The draft Joint
Action is presently under scrutiny by Sub-Committee E and I have
sent your letter and enclosure to that Committee which will consider
the proposal at its meeting next week. I note that the Government
is now content with the proposed Joint Action.
4 November 1997
|
