header-logo header-logo

Raab & the declining status of Lord Chancellor

01 October 2021 / David Greene
Issue: 7950 / Categories: Opinion , Constitutional law , Profession
printer mail-detail
59341
David Greene compares & contrasts the new Lord Chancellor to his predecessors

Dominic Raab, a solicitor, takes the reins at the Ministry of Justice replacing Robert Buckland as Lord Chancellor at ‘interesting’ times for the law, the justice process and the professions. The reaction of the new Lord Chancellor and others to the appointment may cause us to forget that the office of Lord Chancellor is the highest ranking of the Great Officers of State. It is ironic that a measure to appease Mr Raab was to appoint him also Deputy Prime Minster despite the office of Lord Chancellor outranking that of the Prime Minister. In the political world the role of Lord Chancellor is not what it was.

In that world the role of Lord Chancellor was probably the height of Robert Buckland QC’s political career. Buckland was a former criminal practitioner and part time judge. He had a deep knowledge of the practice of criminal law, which was important in the pandemic due to the

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
back-to-top-scroll