The Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, this week unveiled details of a new Supreme Court to be set up by statute later this year – but was unable to say where it would be based or how much money it would receive.

Speaking under the gaze of his predecessor, Lord Irvine of Laing, Falconer on Monday (9 February) told the House of Lords that “it is surely not right that those responsible for interpreting the law should be able to have a hand drafting it”.