A new Government...

And so it is all over. Or rather, it is just beginning.

There is no need to recount all the details of the last two weeks. However, now that the new Cabinet has been appointed, along with most of the junior ministers, we thought that it might be useful to look at the important developments for criminal justice and mental health.

Notably, Kenneth Clarke QC has been appointed Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice. Theresa May has been appointed Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Women and Equalities, and Andrew Lansley CBE has been appointed Secretary of State for Health. Nick Herbert is jointly Minister of State for both the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office, where he is Minister for Police. Given the multiple needs of the 'revolving doors group' many other Ministers will have an important role to play. The full list of Ministers can be found here. We hope that the Ministers, and all MPs, will take the time to read our Case for Change.

The initial coalition agreement between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats can be found here, although there is little mention of either criminal justice or mental health. However, the Criminal Justice Alliance has produced a useful briefing that looks at the policies on crime of both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party, highlighting areas of agreement and disagreement. The briefing also looks at the relevant Cabinet and junior ministers. It can be accessed by following this link.