 He was placed on the Select Committee on the Contempt of Court Bill in 1981 as one of the few non-lawyers; he supported an amendment to allow unrestricted tape-recording of court proceedings, against government advice.He also opposed the 1981 Defence Review with its proposed reductions in the Royal Navy.In March 1982, when the Adam Smith Institute rated MPs according to their tendency to vote for individual freedom, Brotherton and his Parliamentary neighbour Michael Brown topped the list.