Criminal Justice and Courts Bill (HL Bill 30 of 2014–15)

The Criminal Justice and Courts Bill contains a range of proposals across four areas: criminal justice; young offenders; courts and tribunals; and judicial review. The Bill was carried over from the last session, having only reached report stage in the House of Commons by the time the session ended. On 17 June 2014, it completed its remaining stages in the House of Commons and is scheduled for second reading in the House of Lords on 30 June 2014. This Library Note provides background reading for that debate. It summarises the key debates that took place on the Bill at report stage and third reading in the House of Commons, highlighting amendments made to the Bill, and refers to some of the other issues raised by MPs. In addition, a recent report by the Joint Committee on Human Rights identified a number of key clauses in the Bill which the Committee thought raised “significant human rights issues”. Short extracts from this report are provided, where applicable.