Part of Criminal Justice Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 6:00 pm ar 28 Ionawr 2003.
Michael Wills
Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office) (Criminal Justice System IT)
6:00,
28 Ionawr 2003
No, just an unfortunate drafting error.
The Amendment will remove the cross-reference. The notion of prejudice is one with which the courts are familiar and one that they apply to a range of circumstances, so there is no need for a statutory definition.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
