Constitutional Renewal Bill [HL]

House of Lords portcullis

House of Lords

Session 2008 - 09
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Other Bills before Parliament

Constitutional Renewal Bill [HL]

Constitutional Renewal Bill [HL]

Contents
Part 1
Demonstrations in the vicinity of Parliament
1
Repeal of sections 132 to 138 of Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
Part 2
The Attorney General
Independent role for Attorney General and Solicitor General
2
Ending of political role
3
Duty to act independently and in the public interest
4
Publication of advice
Ground rules of Attorney’s superintendence of Directors
5
Ban on directions in individual cases
6
Protocol for running of prosecution services
New provisions about tenure of office of the Directors
7
Director of Public Prosecutions
8
Director of the Serious Fraud Office
9
Director of Revenue and Customs Prosecutions
Attenuation of Attorney’s prosecution consent functions
10
Meaning of “prosecution consent function” and “the Directors”
11
Power to end other prosecution functions of the Attorney
12
Effect of provisions conferring functions on the Director or authorised person
13
Sections 11 and 12: minor definitions
Powers of intervention in relation to proceedings and investigations
14
Abolition of nolle prosequi
15
Duty to intervene on ministerial certificate concerning national security

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Constitutional Renewal Bill [HL]
ii

16
Effect of certain directions under section 15
17
Reports on directions under section 15
Miscellaneous and supplementary
18
Annual report on exercise of Attorney’s functions
19
Amendments consequential on Part 2
Part 3
Treaties and armed conflicts
Ratification of treaties
20
Treaties to be laid before Parliament before ratification
21
The Treaties Committee
22
Section 20 not to apply to certain descriptions of treaties
23
Meaning of “treaty” and “ratification”
Participation in war etc.
24
Parliamentary approval before participating in war etc.
Part 4
The Civil Service
Application
25
Application of Part
Civil Service Commission
26
Establishment of the Civil Service Commission
Management
27
Management of the civil service
28
Civil service management functions
29
Management of the civil service: supplementary
Codes of conduct
30
Civil service code
31
Diplomatic service code
32
Minimum requirements for civil service and diplomatic service codes
33
Special advisers’ code
Appointment
34
Selections for appointments to the civil service
35
Recruitment principles
36
Approvals for selections and exceptions

Constitutional Renewal Bill [HL]
iii

Special advisers
37
Definition of special adviser
38
Limits on the numbers of special advisers
39
Annual reports about special advisers
Additional functions of the Commission
40
Monitoring by the Commission
41
Arrangements for the Civil Service Commission to carry out additional
functions
Definitions
42
List of definitions
Part 5
Parliamentary general elections
Fixed term Parliaments
43
Dates of future parliamentary general elections
44
Dissolution of Parliament
45
Power of House of Commons to vary the date of parliamentary general
elections
46
Amendment of the Representation of the People Acts
General review of electoral system
47
Citizens’ Assembly to review electoral system
48
Membership of Citizens’ Assembly
49
Referendum on proposals made by Citizens’ Assembly
Part 6
Conduct of members of the Houses of Parliament
Conduct of Ministers
50
Ministerial Code
Conduct of members of House of Lords
51
House of Lords: Officer to hear complaints about members
52
Functions of the Officer
53
Sanctions for misconduct by members of House of Lords
54
Disqualification of members of House of Lords for certain offences
Conduct of members of House of Commons
55
Sanctions for misconduct by members of House of Commons

Constitutional Renewal Bill [HL]
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Part 7
Final provisions
56
Meaning of “Minister of the Crown”
57
Power to make consequential provision
58
Extent
59
Commencement
60
Short title
Schedule 1   —
Consequential amendments
Part 1   —
Ground rules for attorney’s superintendence of directors
Part 2   —
New provisions about tenure of office of directors
Part 3   —
Attenuation of Attorney’s prosecution consent functions
Part 4   —
Abolition of nolle prosequi
Schedule 2   —
Civil Service Commission
Part 1   —
The Commissioners
Part 2   —
The Commission
Part 3   —
Transitional provision relating to the old commission

© Parliamentary copyright 2009
Revised 1 April 2009