Secretary of State for Justice

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Secretary of State for Justice
Incumbent: Jack Straw Took office: 28 June 2007
Style:	The Right Honourable
Appointed by:	Gordon Brown as Prime Minister
First :	Charles Falconer
Formation:	9 May 2007

The Secretary of State for Justice is a United Kingdom cabinet position. It was created in 2007 replacing the abolished Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, which was originally intended to fulfil those functions of the office of Lord Chancellor which related to the Lord Chancellor's Department. On 9 May 2007, the Department for Constitutional Affairs was abolished, and a Ministry of Justice was created in its place. The Ministry of Justice is also responsible for certain functions transferred from the Home Office.

The then Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, was appointed to the post of Secretary of State for Justice on the abolition of his position as Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs. The Home Secretary, John Reid, told Parliament that future Secretaries of State for Justice would be MPs rather than peers. Jack Straw took over this department on 28 June 2007, following the selection of Gordon Brown as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister.

[edit] Secretary of State for Justice

Name		Entered office	Left office	Political party	Notes
	The Baron Falconer of Thoroton, PC, QC	9 May 2007	27 June 2007	Labour	Previously the first and only Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs; Also held the office and title of Lord Chancellor
	The Rt Hon. Jack Straw MP	28 June 2007	Incumbent	Labour	First non-peer to serve as Lord Chancellor since the seventeenth century.

[edit] See also

• Constitutional Reform Act 2005

[edit] External links

• The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs Order 2003 from HMSO
• The Ministry of Justice official website

v • d • e Secretaries of State for Justice of the United Kingdom Falconer · Straw

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