Former media baron Conrad Black, who famously tried to sue then-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in his fight to secure a British peerage, has been removed from the House of Lords over his lax attendance.

House of Lords Speaker Lord John McFall announced Wednesday that a number of lords have ceased to be members of the House “by virtue of non-attendance,” including the Montreal-born Black, who was known as Lord Black of Crossharbour. The move is effective as of July 9.

Black, who founded the National Post newspaper, went to great lengths to secure that seat — battling the prime minister for two years and ultimately forsaking his Canadian citizenship for two decades.

The House of Lords is part of the British Parliament. Like Canadian senators, its members are appointed, not elected, to scrutinize legislation. Most lords (also known as peers) are appointed by the monarch on the prime minister’s advice, although some inherit their titles.

In 1999, then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair offered Black, a dual Canadian-British citizen, a peerage to hold a seat in the United Kingdom’s upper chamber.

Chrétien, citing a 1919 resolution that disapproves of bestowing such titles on Canadians, objected and moved to block the appointment.

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CBC News
July 10, 2024