News
New Justice Minister Ken Clarke
- 19th May 2010
The Coalition Government has appointed Ken Clarke as the new Justice Minister in a move that surprised many. Clarke, who told the BBC that he is “completely out of date on issues that are terribly important" has the unenviable task of dealing with issues such as the reform of legal services under the Legal Services Act and legal aid constraints.
Bar Council chairman Nicholas Green is reported to have said: “We are surprised about Clarke taking on the role of Justice Minister as he was not in the running for a law office job, but he does have a legal background and is a pragmatic and canny operator. He will be a sensible person to have a conversation with about how to preserve the civil and criminal justice system in a period of austerity.”
Clarke was called to the Bar in 1963 becoming a Queen’s Council (QC) in 1980, and is a stalwart of the political scene having served in previous Conservative cabinets. He has also been appointed the Lord Chancellor.
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