Coroners and Justice Bill

My Lords, I think that there probably is an answer to the question that the noble Lord, Lord Lester, put just now to the noble Lord, Lord Henley. I in no way want to reopen the discussion of 5 March 2008, the report of which I have reread, as has the noble Lord. I could not be there that day but I would have voted with the majority for the reasons that the most reverend Primates the Archbishops, the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Southwark—it is good that he is in his place—the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Portsmouth and others stated that day. I am concerned that this matter is not being taken to the Northern Ireland Assembly and I shall be interested to know what the Minister has to say about that. I think that there is this much of an answer to the noble Lord’s question: I need a lot of persuading that it is right to vote for his Amendment 75A when those who might reasonably be taken to represent opinion in Northern Ireland have not been consulted. I do not say that because I have any special knowledge of Northern Ireland beyond what most other noble Lords have, as they have read the newspapers since being adults. I strongly suspect that the arguments that were powerfully adduced by the minority on 5 March 2008, although they lost the vote that day, are held with a great deal more force on all sides of the community in Northern Ireland than they are on this side of the water in England and Wales. Those arguments, which some may see as irrational, outdated or unnecessary, relate to the fact that the blasphemy law—even if unusable, as I agree it was when it existed on this side of the water—still stands for something in relation to the character of society and the Christian heritage, which, as I understand it, is much more passionately felt on that side of the water than it is on this. Therefore, it makes me uncomfortable to see this Parliament, through this House and the other place, legislating on this kind of matter for Northern Ireland. I think that that distinguishes it from the other matters—I do not have them firmly in my head—with which the noble Lord, Lord Lester, links this.