Parliamentary privilege can play a vital role in exposing abuse of power
SIR – Finally some decisive action has taken place in Westminster.
Sir Philip Green’s exposure through the use of parliamentary privilege (report, October 26) is welcome. Wealth and power should never be allowed to obstruct the investigation of alleged unacceptable behaviour in the workplace.
Kirsty Blunt
Sedgeford, Norfolk
SIR – I have rarely agreed with Lord Hain, but I commend him wholeheartedly for his action in this matter.
Peter Chicken
Hull, East Yorkshire
SIR – I feel slightly uncomfortable about the use of parliamentary privilege to override the order by a High Court judge to keep Sir Philip’s name secret.
Lord Hain should have considered the message his actions send. If Parliament can override a judge’s decision, where does the power of our
constitution lie? Parliament, of all our institutions, should have total respect for the rule of law.
David Kidd
Petersfield, Hampshire
SIR – The injunction obtained by Sir Philip was on an “interim” basis, so the matter would have gone to full trial.
Lord Hain has undermined the judicial system and prevented a considered examination of the issues involved by the highest courts in the land. This would have helped to frame any public debate concerning nondisclosure agreements, including the limits of their applicability.
Alistair Kelly
London SW18
SIR – The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s code of conduct stipulates that a solicitor must act to uphold the rule of law and the administration of justice, act with integrity, and behave in a way that maintains the trust that the public places in them and in the provision of legal services.
The aggressive use of NDAS and injunctions to cover up dubious and possibly criminal behaviour creates at the very least a prima facie case that these guidelines have been ignored.
Andrew Dyke
London N21
SIR – Do HMRC, executive directors and shareholders in public companies now regard the costs of gagging orders, NDAS and court injunctions to cover up allegations of bullying and harassment in the workplace proper business expenses?
Lord Parmoor
High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
SIR – We can argue about NDAS and injunctions, but we will never be able to stop social media revealing the person or persons concerned.
Only states that ban social media can do that – and Britain is certainly not one of those.
Captain John Maioha Stewart (retd) Breisach am Rhein, Baden-württemberg, Germany