▁member ▁of ▁the ▁jud icial ▁committee ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords ▁in ▁several ▁controvers ial ▁appeal ▁cases , ▁including ▁Director ▁of ▁Public ▁Pro sec utions ▁v ▁Smith ▁( 1 9 6 1 ), ▁Sy kes ▁v ▁Director ▁of ▁Public ▁Pro sec utions ▁( 1 9 6 2 ), ▁and ▁Att orney - General ▁for ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁v ▁Gall ag her ▁( 1 9 6 3 ). ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁God d ard ▁took ▁the ▁un pre ced ented ▁step ▁of ▁returning ▁to ▁sit ▁in ▁the ▁Court ▁of ▁App e al ▁for ▁almost ▁a ▁year ▁to ▁help ▁clear ▁a ▁back log ▁of ▁appeal ▁cases . ▁ ▁After ▁ret iring ▁as ▁Lord ▁Chief ▁Justice , ▁God d ard ▁continued ▁to ▁interven e ▁occasionally ▁in ▁L ords ▁deb ates ▁and ▁public ▁speech es ▁to ▁put ▁forward ▁his ▁views ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁jud icial ▁corpor al ▁pun ishment . ▁On ▁ 1 2 ▁December ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁he ▁said ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords ▁that ▁the ▁law ▁was ▁too ▁much ▁bi ased ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁the ▁criminal . ▁God d ard ▁also ▁expressed ▁his ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁legal isation ▁of ▁hom osex ual ▁acts ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁His ▁final ▁speech ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords ▁was ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 9 1 , ▁pra ising ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁London ' s ▁law ▁courts . ▁ ▁August ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁interview