The Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw, tried to mollify MPs on the constitutional affairs select committee over judicial independence last week.


Mr Straw revealed that a district judge and a senior official from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) are conducting a review of the relationship between judges and the department, and looking at the options available.



But this did not seem to mean that the judiciary, which has expressed concern in particular about the impact of the MoJ's creation on the courts' budget, will get its way on everything.



Though it is 'in everybody's interest to resolve that issue', the Justice Secretary said, when the process of discussion about the relationship is done, 'I don't think there'll be absolute agreement on everything, but there will be absolute understanding on everything'.



'The relationship with the judiciary is not an event, it's a process,' Mr Straw told MPs. 'I've been engaged with many discussions with the senior judiciary and I've spent time with them visiting the courts system, and I continue to do so.'



Rupert White