Robert Buckland

Boris Johnson’s controversial curbs on protests would “make a dictator blush” and show his government’s liking for “authoritarianism”, MPs have warned. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill cleared its first parliamentary hurdle after receiving a second reading by 359 votes to 263, majority 96, despite opposition to several measures contained within it. Labour tabled […]

A senior government minister has said he hopes NHS staff will be given an “appropriate” pay rise this year. The government is facing a furious outcry after calling for a headline increase of just 1% in its submission last week to the NHS pay review body. Ministers have argued that it was all that could […]

A review of the Human Rights Act will be published in the summer, the justice secretary has confirmed. Robert Buckland said the examination of the legislation will be “sensible and measured”, amid concerns over the government’s approach. Speaking in the Commons, Buckland said: “The government established the independent Human Rights Act review to examine the […]

A cabinet minister has admitted that Dominic Cummings’ trip to Barnard Castle undermined the government’s coronavirus response. Appearing on Question Time,  justice secretary Robert Buckland branded the episode “deeply unfortunate” when he was asked if he thought the prime minister’s former chief adviser had broken the rules over lockdown. Although he said that Cummings was […]

The government’s decision to review the country’s human rights laws has been branded “bonkers” by Labour, with campaigners warning it would be a “giant leap backwards” if they were torn up. Former Court of Appeal judge Sir Peter Gross will lead a panel which will consider whether the Human Rights Act needs to be reformed, some […]

The Lord Chancellor has said “activist lawyers” have helped undermine the legal profession’s reputation and accused some of playing up their political leanings on social media to tout for work. Robert Buckland refused to reprimand Boris Johnson and Priti Patel for referring to those aiding asylum and refugee seekers as “lefty lawyers” at the Conservative Party […]