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Bill · started in the Commons

Coroners and Justice

A Bill to amend the law relating to coroners and to certification and registration of deaths; to amend the criminal law; to make provision about criminal justice and about dealing with offenders; to make provision about the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses; to make provision relating to the security of court and other buildings; to make provision about legal aid; to make provision for payments to be made by offenders in respect of benefits derived from the exploitation of material pertaining to offences; to amend the Data Protection Act 1998; and for connected purposes.

Now an Act of Parliament

The story so farThe Coroners and Justice was introduced in the House of Commons on 14 January 2009 by Mr Jack Straw (Labour). It completed its passage through Parliament and became law, receiving Royal Assent on 12 November 2009.

What the bill does

<p>The introduction of this Bill follows a number of separate reviews of the law on coroners and justice.</p><p><strong>Key areas</strong></p><ul><li>Reforms the law relating to death certification and coroners, requiring some inquests to be heard without a jury</li><li>Amends the defences of diminished responsibility and provocation in homicide cases</li><li>Simplifies language in the offence of assisting or encouraging suicide</li><li>Removes an exemption for &lsquo;discussion or criticism&rsquo; in the new offence of inciting hatred on grounds of sexual orientation</li><li>Extends the law proscribing possession of child pornography to include non‑photographic images </li><li>Increases flexibility in the help given to vulnerable witnesses giving evidence</li><li>Changes rules on live links for defendants</li><li>Reforms the system of granting bail in murder cases </li><li>Makes changes to legal aid </li><li>Introduces measures to prevent offenders profiting from accounts of their crimes. </li></ul>After the Committee Stage of the Bill, the Government made announcements in relation to two of the provisions in the Bill. It confirmed that clause 152 (now clause 154), which would enable Ministers to make information-sharing orders, would be withdrawn. It also announced the tabling of Government amendments for Report Stage to recast the provision which would exclude juries from some inquests.<br>

Progress through Parliament

  1. 1st reading Commons 14 Jan 2009
  2. 2nd reading Commons 26 Jan 2009
  3. Programme motion Commons 26 Jan 2009
  4. Money resolution Commons 26 Jan 2009
  5. Committee stage Commons 3 Feb to 10 Mar 2009
  6. Programme motion Commons 4 Mar 2009
  7. Programme motion Commons 23 Mar 2009
  8. Report stage Commons 23 Mar to 24 Mar 2009
  9. 3rd reading Commons 24 Mar 2009
  10. 1st reading Lords 25 Mar 2009
  11. 2nd reading Lords 27 Apr 2009
  12. Committee stage Lords 9 Jun to 21 Jul 2009
  13. Report stage Lords 21 Oct to 29 Oct 2009
  14. 3rd reading Lords 5 Nov 2009
  15. Programme motion Commons 9 Nov 2009
  16. Consideration of Lords amendments Commons 9 Nov 2009
  17. Consideration of Commons amendments and / or reasons Lords 11 Nov 2009
  18. Consideration of Lords amendments Commons 12 Nov 2009
  19. Royal Assent Unassigned 12 Nov 2009

Source: the official bill page. Last updated 20 Nov 2009.