Update: On 3 July 2025, I submitted my request for Judicial Review of the House of Lords Commissioner for Standards’ handling of my complaint about the Attorney General, Lord Hermer, to the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
Lord Hermer failed to declare his directorship of Matrix Chambers Limited, which was active when he entered the House of Lords on 18 July 2024. The Commissioner for Standards dismissed my complaint, stating:
“Paragraph 16 of the Guide to the Code of Conduct states that new members have one month from taking their seat to register their interests. As Lord Hermer is recorded as having resigned from his role at Matrix Chambers Limited on 2 August 2024, within one month of becoming a member of the House, there was no requirement for him to have registered this interest.”
I contend that, under the 13th Edition of the Code of Conduct, all interests held at the date of introduction must be declared within one month, regardless of whether they are resigned during that period. The Commissioner failed to uphold the Code and ensure this interest was recorded. The Lords’ Registrar, as an interested party, also abdicated his duty to clarify this key point of law, despite repeated requests for guidance.
If peers are allowed to omit declaring interests held at the time they join the House of Lords—simply by resigning them within the first month—it creates a loophole that undermines the Code of Conduct’s core purpose: transparency and public accountability. This weakens public trust, allows potential conflicts of interest to go undisclosed, and sets a dangerous precedent for future cases. Ensuring all relevant interests are declared at introduction is essential for upholding the integrity of Parliament and the rule of law.
Update: On 3 July 2025, I submitted my request for Judicial Review of the House of Lords Commissioner for Standards’ handling of my complaint about the Attorney General, Lord Hermer, to the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
Lord Hermer failed to declare his directorship of Matrix Chambers Limited, which was active when he entered the House of Lords on 18 July 2024. The Commissioner for Standards dismissed my complaint, stating:
“Paragraph 16 of the Guide to the Code of Conduct states that new members have one month from taking their seat to register their interests. As Lord Hermer is recorded as having resigned from his role at Matrix Chambers Limited on 2 August 2024, within one month of becoming a member of the House, there was no requirement for him to have registered this interest.”
I contend that, under the 13th Edition of the Code of Conduct, all interests held at the date of introduction must be declared within one month, regardless of whether they are resigned during that period. The Commissioner failed to uphold the Code and ensure this interest was recorded. The Lords’ Registrar, as an interested party, also abdicated his duty to clarify this key point of law, despite repeated requests for guidance.
If peers are allowed to omit declaring interests held at the time they join the House of Lords—simply by resigning them within the first month—it creates a loophole that undermines the Code of Conduct’s core purpose: transparency and public accountability. This weakens public trust, allows potential conflicts of interest to go undisclosed, and sets a dangerous precedent for future cases. Ensuring all relevant interests are declared at introduction is essential for upholding the integrity of Parliament and the rule of law.