Ministry of Justice must not resort to populist gimmicks

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 9th May 2007

Commenting ahead of Wednesday's creation of the new Ministry of Justice, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, Simon Hughes MP, said:

"The Liberal Democrats welcome the creation of a Ministry of Justice. This is a change in the structure of government we have long been calling for.

"Our concerns are about the detail, planning and implications of this important constitutional change. The real and pressing questions which judges and others have asked must now be answered.

"Improvements in the court system must not be sacrificed as a result of the failures of government prison policy.

"With courts struggling to meet extra demand and reoffending rates continuing to rise, the Ministry of Justice must not resort to the populist gimmicks that have characterised the output of the Home Office over the last decade."