Bob Neill, a barrister who chairs the justice select committee, has expressed concerns to the Guardian about Truss’s lack of legal qualifications, experience and seniority if she is to hold a vital role overseeing the judiciary.
Neill’s comments follow an attack on Monday by Lord Falconer, the former Labour lord chancellor, and the Tory justice minister, Lord Faulks, who quit as he accused Truss of failing to display the necessary independence to defend the legal profession and courts from interference from politicians.
Truss, whose appointment has been lauded for breaking an 800-year run of male lord chancellors, has also been criticised for failing to show the necessary independence in her previous job as environment secretary.
Critics also claim that she is relatively junior, having been in the Cabinet for only two years.
But those close to Truss have claimed that the legal establishment has closed ranks in the face of an appointment of a woman. A source claimed that other justice secretaries without legal qualifications have not been subjected to the same level of criticisms by “old, pale, male judges and politicians”.
Neill, who became chair of the committee last year and is a former vice-chair of the Tory party, said he was concerned over Truss’s ability to maintain the independence of the judiciary in her role as lord chancellor.
“As chairman of the justice committee, I’ll be writing to Liz to meet us urgently. My concern is this: while it’s not necessary for the lord chancellor to have a legal background, they have a specific role under the Constitutional Reform Act to represent the interests of the judiciary and to represent the judiciary, including its independence within government.
“It helps if the person in charge has been a lawyer or has been a senior member of the cabinet. I have a concern, with no disrespect to Liz, that it would be hard for someone without that history to step straight in and fulfil that role,” he said.
He said Truss’s predecessor, Michael Gove, had had “the necessary clout” to push through prison reforms in the face of opposition from politicians and pressure groups.
“I’m also very concerned that there could be a loss of the impetus for prison reform. Prison reform is completely in line with Theresa May’s social reform agenda. There is no reason that this should be allowed to slip. But it’s important to ensure that the person in the job has enough commitment, enthusiasm and drive to take on the vested interests,” he said. Neill was a supporter of Gove in his failed bid to become prime minister.
A source close to Truss told the Guardian Neill’s comments should be seen as part of a reaction to a woman being given a powerful job over a profession still dominated by elderly white men.
“I don’t see the basis of saying this. This is coming from old white male judges and politicians. She (Liz) will of course be having a series of meetings with the relevant stakeholders. She will be doing those in to summer recess. But as a far as I can see, this is thinly veiled misogyny,” the source said.
Responding to the accusation of misogyny, Neill said it was “wholly wrong as far as I am concerned and bloody outrageous to suggest it”. He said his comments would apply to a male minister with the same CV.
