What is the Justice Committee ?

The Justice Committee is a cross-party group of MPs appointed by the House of Commons to examine the policies and spending of the Ministry of Justice and associated public bodies.

This includes the courts, legal aid, prisons, probation and the rule of law. It also advises on sentencing guidelines. The Justice Committee is chaired by Sir Bob Neill MP.

Role of the Justice Committee

Sir Bob Neill MP, Chair of the Justice Committee, explained the role of the Justice Committee and how to get involved in the Committee’s work

The Justice Committee was appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Ministry of Justice and associated public bodies, (to include the work of staff provided for the administrative work of courts and tribunals, but excluding consideration of individual cases and appointments, and excluding the work of the Scotland and Wales Offices and of the Advocate General for Scotland); and administration and expenditure of the Attorney General’s Office, the Treasury Solicitor’s Department, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Fraud Office (but excluding individual cases and appointments and advice given within government by Law Officers).

The Justice Committee is one of the 19 Select Committees related to Government Departments, established by the House of Commons under Standing Order No. 152.
Role of the Justice Committee – Parliament Website

Subjects of Inquiry

The Justice Committee chooses its own subjects of inquiry.

Depending on the subject, external deadlines, and the amount of oral evidence the Committee decides to take, an inquiry may last for several months and give rise to a report to the House; other inquiries may simply consist of a single day’s oral evidence which the Committee may publish without making a report.

When the Committee has chosen an inquiry it normally issues a press notice outlining the main themes of inquiry and inviting interested parties to submit written evidence. It may also identify possible witnesses and issue specific invitations to them to submit written evidence.
Role of the Justice Committee – Parliament Website

Membership

As of the 19th January 2024, the current members of the Justice Committee published on the Parliament website were :-

Name	Party or affiliation	Constituency or type
Sir Robert Neill MP	Conservative	Bromley and Chislehurst
Tahir Ali MP	Labour	Birmingham, Hall Green
Rob Butler MP	Conservative	Aylesbury
James Daly MP	Conservative	Bury North
Rt Hon Maria Eagle MP	Labour	Garston and Halewood
Rachel Hopkins MP	Labour	Luton South
Paul Maynard MP	Conservative	Blackpool North and Cleveleys
Dr Kieran Mullan MP	Conservative	Crewe and Nantwich
Chris Stephens MP	Scottish National Party	Glasgow South West
Edward Timpson KC MP	Conservative	Eddisbury
Karl Turner MP	Labour	Kingston upon Hull East