Jurisdiction

Question proposed, That the clause stand part of the Bill.

I have a brief question on the clause, which is relatively uncontroversial. Explanatory note 364 states:

“Currently, two assessors sit with judges in cases involving race and sex discrimination only. This clause extends the requirement to have assessors for cases of discrimination based on any protected characteristic...but reduces the number of assessors used in each case to one.”

Why have the Government made that decision?

I suppose that we may run short of assessors now that we have extended the range. It seems as if one will suffice, granted that there are new training components for judges, so they ought to be more expert—not that they are not experts already.

Question put and agreed to.

Clause 108 accordingly ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 109 and 110 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Schedule 17 agreed to.

Clauses 111 to 117 ordered to stand part of the Bill.