Lord Faulkes Quits Over Appointment Of Feminist Liz Truss As Lord Chancellor, Blasting Her Inexperience And Warning She Won’t Be Able To Stand Up For Judges In Cabinet

Via Paul J4MB: Liz Truss was first elected to parliament just six years ago. In an article in The Times today, Charles Falconer (Lord Chancellor, 2003-7) wrote:
Liz Truss… has displayed no obvious signs of independence as a minister, backing Mrs May right from the off in the leadership election and so far shows every sign in her career of being more interested in promotion than the rule of law.
There is nothing wrong with ambition – but the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 said that the prime minister could only appoint someone who appears to be qualified by experience. The lord chancellor is the only job in cabinet where there are personal conditions, laid down by statute, which have to be satisfied by the holder.
There is no one who could possibly suggest that Ms Truss met the bar set by that law…


So the prime minister broke the law in appointing Ms Truss, but more importantly showed she did not regard protecting the rule of law as a priority at all in making her cabinet. There is, I’m sure, much that is good about the new prime minister. Her cavalier disregard for the law is not one of them.




Lord Faulkes quits over appointment of Liz Truss as Lord Chancellor, blasting her inexperience and warning she won’t be able to stand up for judges in Cabinet

By Tim Sculthorpe: A justice minister has quit the government over the appointment of Liz Truss as justice secretary, questioning whether her lack of experience would be 'damaging to the justice system'.

Lord Faulkes, who served under justice secretaries Chris Grayling and Michael Gove in the last government, insisted he had nothing against the new minister 'personally'.

But he questioned whether Ms Truss, whose previous Cabinet experience was as environment secretary, would be able to stand up in defence of judges 'without fear of damaging her career'.

Lord Faulks, an experience barrister, was made a Tory peer in 2010 and entered Government at the Ministry of Justice in 2013, covering briefs including human rights and civil law.

He is one of almost 30 ministers to have left the front bench as Mrs May assembled her team, via a mix of resignations ans sackings.

Lord Faulks told The Times: 'I have nothing against Ms Truss personally.

'But is she going to have the clout to be able to stand up to the prime minister when necessary, on behalf of the judges?

'Is she going to be able to stand up, come the moment, to the prime minister, for the rule of law and for the judiciary . . . without fear of damaging her career? It is a big ask.'

'I fear this could be damaging to the justice system.'

After being appointed, the new Justice Secretary tweeted: 'Delighted to be appointed Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor.

'Looking forward to getting stuck in.'

The appointment of Ms Truss was a major promotion by Mrs May as she overhauled the Conservative Government from top to bottom after taking over from David Cameron in No 10.

The new Prime Minister appointed eight female politicians to her full Cabinet - equalling Tony Blair's record for the number of women in the Cabinet in 2006. 

But after finishing appointing her full ministerial team yesterday, her government contained just 28 women - two fewer than Mr Cameron's final ministerial team. 

The finalised list of Government appointments indicated Chancellor Philip Hammond was Mrs May's de facto deputy, ahead of Home Secretary Amber Rudd - but nobody has formally been made the Prime Minister's deputy or first secretary of state.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon rank higher than the newly created positions of Brexit Secretary, held by David Davis, and International Trade, run by Liam Fox. 

Source