When he was Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer was responsible for ushering in constitutional reforms that abolished the role of Lord Chancellor as head of the judiciary; set up a Supreme Court and a judicial appointments commission. The changes were hugely controversial at the time - not least because judges were not consulted on them in advance. 

Lord Falconer’s comments come in an interview on our new podcast series, “The Lord Chancellors: Where Politics meets Justice” hosted by journalist Frances Gibb.

It will examine the ancient post of Lord Chancellor, which is now combined with the role of Justice Secretary. The position holds the delicate balance of power between the judiciary and the executive, with special responsibility for maintaining the rule of law. 

The new podcast series comes after last year’s successful first series, “The Judges: Power, Politics and the People".