Rt Hon. Alex Chalk KC | Lord Chancellor UK 2023-2024

In April 2023, Alex was appointed Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice - the first Cheltenham MP to join the Cabinet since the constituency's creation in 1832.

The Lord Chancellor is one of the most ancient offices of state, dating back many centuries. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister and is a senior member of the Cabinet. They head the Ministry of Justice as the Secretary of State for Justice, with responsibility for a budget of around £14bn and over 80,000 employees. Previously the Lord Chancellor also acted as Speaker of the House of Lords and therefore sat on the Woolsack. The Lord Chancellor was also head of the judiciary and the senior judge of the House of Lords in its judicial capacity. However, under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the Lord Chancellor ceased to be the Speaker of the Lords, and was replaced by the Lord Speaker. In addition, the Lord Chief Justice is now head of the judiciary, and the Lord Chancellor may no longer sit as a judge.

SOME HIGHLIGHTS:

Took Action to Quash Wrongful Post Office Convictions

Hundreds of innocent postmasters who were wrongfully convicted due to the Horizon scandal had their names cleared under new laws brought forward by the Government.

Thousands More Ex-Prisoners Employed

Rapid progress was made to boost employment for prison leavers, with the number of ex-offenders successfully steered into jobs within six months more than doubling from 14% to 30% since April 2021. This helped to cut crime and tackle the £18 billion annual cost of reoffending as ex-prisoners in steady jobs are known to be up to nine percentage points less likely to commit further crimes. Business chiefs from household firms such as Co-op and Greggs helped spearhead initiatives such as Employment Advisory Boards, which were rolled out in 92 prisons to help improve the education and training on offer.

Signed First Ever Memorandum of Agreement with Japan

This new commitment builds a platform to increase collaboration between the two nations by establishing a regular dialogue to share information, expertise and exchange views on legal and justice matters. This will improve policymaking in both countries as officials learn from each other on the best ways to deliver justice for victims. The agreement also signals a mutual desire to strengthen cooperation between Japanese and UK legal services sectors, which will be key to the growth of both economies.

Secured Cash Boost for Court Maintenance

In 2023 Alex Chalk announced that £220m would be invested in the court estate over the coming two years to improve the condition of the courts and to help bring down the Crown Court caseload. Chalk also revealed that he would remove the cap on judicial sitting days in the Crown court for the third year running, to allow the courts to run at 'full throttle'. Chalk explained that the court investment ‘reflect the respect that I and the Government hold the justice system in. The physical fabric of our court estate matters for the rule of law.'

Tackled 'Stain' of IPPs

Within weeks of taking office, Alex declared that IPPs are a 'stain' on the justice system and set in train far-reaching reforms to allow rehabilitated ex-prisoners serving IPPs to have their licence period terminated at the three year mark post-release (previously 10 years). Read more here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/reforms-bring-hope-to-rehabilitated-people-still-serving-abolished-indefinite-sentences

Secured £170m Investment into Family Justice

Thousands of families will be spared the stress of court or obtain speedier justice thanks to £56 million announced by the Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk in the Spring 2024 Budget. This will mean families can access early legal advice and resolve their disputes away from the court room, such as agreeing child arrangements, and forms part of a wider £170 million investment into the justice system. At the same time, vulnerable families with serious safeguarding concerns such as domestic abuse and child safety will benefit from the expansion of a new model which will see increased support and a less adversarial approach in the family courts.

Held Talks with Indian PM to Press for Fair Access for UK lawyers

Alex represented the UK at the International Lawyers Conference in New Delhi, India. During the conference, Alex met with Prime Minister Modi to discuss the Memorandum of Understanding recently signed between the Bar Council of England & Wales and the Bar Council of India to pave the way for improved conditions for international law firms and counsel to practise foreign law in India.

Led Domestic Abuse Bill onto Statute Book

As Justice Minister, Alex led the Domestic Abuse Bill through the Commons together with then-Home Office minister Vicky Atkins. For the first time in history, the Bill includes a wide-ranging legal definition of domestic abuse which incorporates a range of abuses beyond physical violence, including emotional, coercive or controlling behaviour, and economic abuse.

Introduced Jade's Law

Alex amended the Victims and Prisoners Bill so parents who rape a child and/or kill a partner or ex-partner with whom they have children will automatically have their parental responsibility suspended upon sentencing. An automatic exemption is in place in cases where a domestic abuse victim kills their abuser. It means that victims and the bereaved will no longer have to go through the current process of applying to restrict parental responsibility through the family court, reducing the burden on them at a challenging time. The law is named after Jade Ward, who was murdered by her former partner in 2021. Her family campaigned tirelessly to change the law after her murderer was able to continue to take part in decisions relating to their four children inflicting further trauma on them and Jade’s parents.