“Should parliament give itself more powers? That’s the intriguing question posed by a paper to be published next week by the Constitution Society, an educational charity established five years ago.”
The Guardian, 2nd May 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“A bill which ends succession to the Crown based on gender has become law.”
BBC News, 25th April 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“Last week, the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee published their report, Do We Need A Constitutional Convention For the UK? (HC 2012-13 371). It is an interesting document, mainly because its very existence shows that the idea of a constitutional convention is becoming more mainstream within Westminster. But the report raises many questions, not all of which are fully answered. The central thrust of the report is that considering the raft of changes made to the constitution since 1997, particularly devolution, ‘it is time to conduct a comprehensive review so that the Union can work well in the future’ (para 111), and that this review should take the form of a ‘constitutional convention to look at the formal constitutional structure of the UK’.”
UK Constitutional Law Group, 3rd April 2013
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
“The Commission delivered its Report – A UK Bill of Rights? – The Choice Before Us – to the Government in December 2012. It is an odd document, dominated by the lack of agreement in the Commission as to the role that any human rights’ instrument in Britain should play. That was unsurprising since at the inception of the Commission the Coalition partners appeared to want it to play two different roles – defending or attacking the HRA. From the very outset the Commission and the idea of a Bill of Rights (BoR) was relied upon by Cameron and other senior Conservatives to allay anger in the Conservative party, and among some voters, directed at decisions made under the Human Rights Act. David Cameron announced the Commission’s inception in March 2011 at Prime Ministers’ Questions as a reaction to criticism of the decision of the Supreme Court that sex offenders should be able to challenge their inclusion on the Sex Offenders’ register. He indicated that a BoR would address the concerns expressed (17.3.11; see the Telegraph in relation to R and Thompson v SSHD). The idea that a BoR could right the wrongs of the HRA – would provide a panacea for the HRA’s ills – had apparently been embedded in the Conservative party psyche for some years: David Cameron in a speech to the Centre for Policy Studies in 2006 Balancing freedom and security – A modern British Bill of Rights said that the HRA should be repealed: ‘….The Human Rights Act has a damaging impact on our ability to protect our society against terrorism…. . I am today committing my Party to work towards the production of a Modern Bill of Rights’. In contrast, the 2010 Liberal Democrat election manifesto promised to ‘Ensure that everyone has the same protections under the law by protecting the Human Rights Act.’”
UK Constitution Law Group, 21st March 2013
Source: www.ukconstitutionllaw.org
“The current system for human rights protection in the UK is once again under siege. In the last week, statements were made indicating that the Conservative Party’s manifesto for the next election would include major reforms to current arrangements. Chris Grayling, Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, declared that a future Conservative Government would repeal the UK Human Rights Act 1998 ‘and start[] again’, suggesting that it would be replaced by alternative legislation. Theresa May, Home Secretary, announced that the manifesto would include a promise to withdraw the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights.”
UK Constitutional Law Group, 7th March 2013
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
“The debate over the place of human rights in UK constitutional law continues to run and run. The Home Secretary, Theresa May MP, has recently criticised the manner in which UK judges are interpreting the right to family life protected by Article 8 of the ECHR. A private members bill tabled by Tory MP Charlie Elphicke, the Human Rights Act 1998 (Repeal and Substitution) Bill, which would de-incorporate Convention rights and replace them with diluted ‘British’ replacements, received its Second Reading on the 1st March 2013. Furthermore, at the time of writing, the Mail on Sunday is quoting Theresa May again to the effect that the next Tory election manifesto will include a commitment to withdrawing from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights, de-incorporating Convention rights, or some such equivalent measure.”
UK Constitutional Law Group, 4th March 2013
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
“Constitutional reforms that have taken effect over the past seven years ‘may be eroding something rather important’, the lord chief justice of England and Wales told peers on Wednesday.”
The Guardian, 30th January 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Now that the idea of a new UK Bill of Rights appears to be buried, choices re-emerge. The predicted outcome of the London-based Commission’s work was finally confirmed in December. Where now for human rights?”
UK Human Rights Blog, 29th January 2013
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
“There is nothing surprising in the conclusion formed by the majority of the Commission on the Bill of Rights in their report, issued yesterday. A majority favours replacing the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) with a Bill of Rights for the UK, as the means of securing the most effective compliance by this country with its obligations under the Human Rights Convention.”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 19th December 2012
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
“All Commonwealth realms have agreed to press ahead with a bill ending discrimination against women in the succession to the British throne.”
BBC News, 4th December 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“The government has officially withdrawn proposed legislation for elections to the House of Lords after admitting defeat over the plans last month.”
BBC News, 3rd September 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“Today I am talking to Carl Gardner, ex government lawyer and author of the Head of Legal blog. Downing Street announced the appointment of Lord Neuberger MR as the new President of The United Kingdom Supreme Court – taking over in September when Lord Phillips retires.
We also examine the reform of the House of Lords and the antics of our political masters this week.”
Charon QC, 13th July 2012
Source: www.charonqc.wordpress.com
“Charon QC” is the blogging pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot, editor of insitelaw newswire.
“The Commission on a UK Bill of Rights has today (11 July) published a second Consultation Paper.”
Ministry of Justice, 11th July 2012
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
“Last year, the troubled Commission on a Bill of Rights consulted the public on whether the UK needed a new human rights instrument. Many, including me, commented that the consultation document was a little sparse on detail. In any event, the consultation closed in November 2011.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 11th July 2012
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
“Every Briton could have a guaranteed entitlement to welfare benefits in a ‘far-reaching’ expansion of human rights proposed by the body that was intended by David Cameron to rein in the law.”
Daily Telegraph, 11th July 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“Nick Clegg’s hopes of reforming the House of Lords, completing a journey begun a century ago by his Liberal predecessors, ran into severe trouble on Tuesday when 91 Tory MPs defied a three line whip to vote against the measure in the largest rebellion of the parliament.”
The Guardian, 11th July 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The common law leads to complexity. Is that always a good thing?”
The Guardian, 6th June 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Lords reform takes centre stage in legislative agenda, alongside measures to support families, change employment law and reform pensions”
The Guardian, 9th May 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Related link: Queen’s speech 2012 – full text
“The government is putting promised legislation on hold to make room for House of Lords reform, MPs say.”
BBC News, 2nd May 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
