History

Hansard gems: Interesting paperclip fact #5

One for the lawyers and paperclip fans today, this time from Hansard in January 1998. It’s Liberal Democrat thinker and historian Conrad Russell at work:

As far as I understand it, it would be intra vires to confine those regulations to authorising them to restrict the allocation of their paperclips. I do not suggest that that is the policy intention. But I should like to know whether it would be intra vires, under those words, to restrict the powers that much. I also want to know how far the powers they could be given could be extended. When I know what could be done under these words, I shall be in a position to judge whether they are the right words in which to confer the powers. I still do not see why it is necessary to use a regulation-making power to confer them at all.

Liked this story? Find other gems from Hansard on my archive page for this series of posts.


One response to “Hansard gems: Interesting paperclip fact #5”

  1. Two questions that should probably be asked of all such regulations:
    1) How much can these powers be used to restrict something
    2) How much can these powers be used to allow something.

    But then Conrad was a very wise man 🙂

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