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Parliamentary Standards Bill

I support the view put forward that it would be highly desirable for the House of Commons to consider setting up an internal, fair appeal system to be used in the case of an important direction. I agree that it would be a mistake to have an appeal to the judicial committee of the Privy Council, because our constitution prevents any recourse from a decision of the House of Commons or of Parliament to the ordinary courts. Strictly speaking, the judicial committee of the Privy Council, although it is not particularly ordinary, is still a court of law, and it would, as the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, said, be a breach of the principle to have an appeal there. A domestic appeal tribunal within the House of Commons therefore strikes me as the best, but "fair" is what is required, and we should possibly leave it to the House of Commons to decide how to deal with it fairly.