Official portrait of Lord Falconer of Thoroton crop 2

The secretary of state for constitutional affairs was a secretary of state in the

Government of the United Kingdom ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...

, with overall responsibility for the business of the Department for Constitutional Affairs. The position existed from 2003 to 2007. At its creation, certain functions of the

lord chancellor The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. Th ...

which related to the

Lord Chancellor's Department The Lord Chancellor's Department was a United Kingdom government department answerable to the Lord Chancellor with jurisdiction over England and Wales. Created in 1885 as the Lord Chancellor's Office with a small staff to assist the Lord Chancel ...

were transferred to the new secretary of state. At a later date further functions were also transferred to the secretary of state for constitutional affairs from the

first secretary of state The First Secretary of State is an office that is sometimes held by a minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The office indicates seniority, including over all other Secretaries of State. The office is not always in use, ...

, a position within the government held by the

deputy prime minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

. The only holder of the post was

Lord Falconer Charles Leslie Falconer, Baron Falconer of Thoroton, (born 19 November 1951) is a British Labour peer and barrister who served as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice under Prime Minister Tony Blair from 2003 to 2007. Born i ...

who also simultaneously continued to serve as

Lord Chancellor The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. Th ...

. Certain functions, linked by statute with the office of Lord Chancellor, were not transferred to the new office of secretary of state for constitutional affairs. The corresponding shadow minister was the

shadow secretary of state for constitutional affairs In British politics the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice is the member of the Shadow Cabinet who shadows the Secretary of State for Justice The secretary of state for justice, also referred to as the justice secretary, is a secretary ...

, and the secretary of state was also scrutinised by the

Constitutional Affairs Committee The Commons Constitutional Affairs Committee (est. January 2003) of the United Kingdom was a select committee of the House of Commons which looked into the expenditure, policy and administration of the Department for Constitutional Affairs and asso ...

. The post was formally created through the approval, by way of the

Order-in-Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council (''Kin ...

procedure, of the ''Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs Order 2003'' (SI 2003 No. 1887). The office was discontinued on 9 May 2007, and all of its responsibilities were transferred to the new post of

secretary of state for justice The secretary of state for justice, also referred to as the justice secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Ministry of Justice. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the Un ...

, the first holder of which was also Lord Falconer.

Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs

External links

Text of the ''Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs Order 2003''
*

References

Constitutional Affairs * Defunct ministerial offices in the United Kingdom 2003 establishments in the United Kingdom 2007 disestablishments in the United Kingdom {{UK-poli-stub

Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs

See also

External links

References