Jeff King and Stephen Tierney: The House of Lords Constitution Committee reports on the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The United Kingdom Internal Market Bill is something of an imperfect storm, provoking the ire both of the devolved authorities who consider it an unacceptable circumscription of devolved competence and those aghast that the Bill empowers ministers to act contrary to the UK’s international obligations. Today the Constitution Committee reports on the measure and doesn’t pull its punches. Its highly critical analysis is informed by several evidence sessions involving academics, legal experts and prominent parliamentarians including the Lord Chancellor.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 16th October 2020

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Christopher McCorkindale, Aileen McHarg and Tom Mullen: The Continuity Bill is Dead; Long Live the Continuity Bill – Regulatory Alignment and Divergence in Scotland Post-Brexit – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted July 30th, 2020 in bills, brexit, devolution, EC law, news, Scotland by sally

‘Readers of this blog will be aware of the dispute between the Scottish and UK Governments over who should legislate in areas hitherto covered by EU law after Brexit (or more accurately after the end of the post-withdrawal Implementation Period). That dispute saw the Scottish Parliament enact its own Continuity Bill intended as an alternative to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (EUWA). That Bill – the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill (the “first Continuity Bill”) (discussed here and here) – was subsequently referred to the Supreme Court and held to be outwith devolved competence so far as it conflicted with the EUWA (discussed here). Although some provisions of the Bill survived the Supreme Court reference, the Scottish Government decided not to proceed with Bill, but undertook to bring back the remaining provisions on a future occasion.’

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UK Constitutional Law Associations, 30th July 2020

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Gregory Davies and Dan Wincott: Brexit, the press and the territorial constitution – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted June 11th, 2020 in brexit, constitutional law, devolution, media, news by sally

‘In the early years of devolution, Feldman described constitutional discourse in the UK as ‘a sea of conflicting visions’. More than a decade later, Brexit and now Covid-19 remind us again just how differently the UK is understood.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 10th June 2020

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Gareth Evans: Devolution in Wales: From Assembly to Parliament – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted April 17th, 2020 in constitutional law, devolution, news, Wales by sally

‘On 6 May 2020, the National Assembly for Wales (hereafter “the Assembly”) will officially be renamed, adopting the new title of Senedd Cymru / Welsh Parliament. The change comes as a result of section 9 of the Wales Act 2017, amending the Government of Wales Act 2006 (hereafter “GOWA”) to include the new section 111A which transfers to the Assembly the power to legislate on matters relating to its electoral and operational arrangements.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 15th April 2020

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Thomas on Wales – Counsel

Posted February 20th, 2020 in civil justice, criminal justice, devolution, legal profession, news, reports, Wales by sally

‘With radical recommendations for ‘fair, distinct and devolved’ justice, the Thomas Report should be required reading for anyone interested in Wales and the state of its justice system – writes David Hughes.’

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Counsel, February 2020

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Welsh justice review calls for Scottish-style devolution of powers – The Guardian

Posted October 24th, 2019 in children, criminal responsibility, devolution, news, Wales by sally

‘Powers to control justice, policing and prisons should be devolved to the Welsh assembly as they are in Scotland and Northern Ireland, a commission led by the former lord chief justice of England and Wales has recommended.’

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The Guardian, 24th October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Byron Karemba: Brexit, the Reference Jurisdiction of the UKSC and the New Separation of Powers – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘When the UKSC was created, there was great emphasis by the architects of the Court that it would largely assume the same constitutional position and functions as the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 30th July 2018

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Domestic violence: can moving power out of Whitehall make a difference? – The Guardian

Posted December 12th, 2017 in devolution, domestic violence, local government, news, victims, women by sally

‘Vital services for vulnerable women have been cut across the country, but new metro authorities could be a chance to make radical improvements.’

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The Guardian, 12th December 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Catalonia: The Right to Secede and the Right to Self-Determination – Oxford Human Rights Hub

Posted October 24th, 2017 in constitutional law, devolution, foreign jurisdictions, news by sally

‘In an address to the Parliament of Catalonia on 10th October 2017, the President of Catalonia issued a ‘suspended’ unilateral declaration of independence (“UDI”) from Spain. The ‘suspended’ UDI followed a controversial independence referendum on 1st October 2017. The referendum, which was mired by protests and attempts by federal police forces to prevent people from voting, had resulted in a vote of 90% in favour of independence with a reported 42% turn-out.’

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Oxford Human Rights Hub, 23rd October 2017

Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk

Planning for Infrastructure in Wales – No. 5 Chambers

Posted October 20th, 2017 in devolution, environmental protection, news, planning, Wales by sally

‘The Wales Act 2017 received Royal Assent on 31 January 2017. Some provisions are already in force; others will come into effect in April 2018.’

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No. 5 Chambers, 18th October 2017

Source: www.no5.com

Three monkeys on the back of English fiscal devolution – UCL Constitution Unit

Posted October 6th, 2017 in devolution, news, taxation by tracey

‘The fiscal powers of English local authorities are extremely limited. In recent years there have been many proposals for significant fiscal devolution to take place, but little progress has been made on this agenda. In this post Mark Sandford argues that there are three fundamental reasons for this: the nature of the UK state, the complexity involved and equity considerations.’

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UCL Constitution Unit, 6th October 2017

Source: constitution-unit.com

UK citizens set for “second class status” – EU (Withdrawal) Bill – The Bar Council

Posted September 8th, 2017 in bills, devolution, EC law, environmental protection, jurisdiction, news, treaties by tracey

‘”This Bill will leave UK citizens and businesses with less protection against the power of the state. Rights are not being brought home, they are being abolished.”
Andrew Langdon QC, Chair of the Bar.’

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The Bar Council, 7th September 2017

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Jack Simson Caird: The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill: Constitutional Change and Legal Continuity – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘Nine months after Theresa May first announced that there would be a ‘Great Repeal Bill’, and three and a half months after triggering Article 50, the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill (EUW Bill) was published on 13 July 2017. The Bill is a complex mixture of constitutional change and legal continuity. This post highlights some of its main elements.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 18th July 2017

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Grenfell Tower— a different perspective – New Law Journal

‘Theo Huckle QC compares & contrasts the public safety policy agendas of administrations in Westminster & Wales.’

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New Law Journal, 7th July 2017

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

NI Abortion Refugees: further thoughts – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Was it unlawful for the Secretary of State for Health, who had power to make provisions for the functioning of the National Health Service in England, to have failed to make a provision which would have enabled women who were citizens of the UK, but who were usually resident in Northern Ireland, to undergo a termination of pregnancy under the NHS in England free of charge?’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 15 June 2017

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Colin Harvey and Daniel Holder: The Great Repeal Bill and the Good Friday Agreement – Cementing a Stalemate or Constitutional Collision Course? – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘As predicted, Brexit is proving to be profoundly destabilising for the peace process and the constitutional politics of Northern Ireland. An outcome that lacks the consent of the people of Northern Ireland (a majority voted to remain) is re-opening fundamental questions about future relationships across these islands. We argue that this constitutional mess has potentially created a ‘perfect storm’, and leaves many here struggling with the troubling consequences.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 6th June 2017

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Devolution in England: a review – UCL Constitution Unit

Posted April 24th, 2017 in devolution, legal history, London, news by tracey

‘On Monday 10 April Professor Tony Travers of the London School of Economics (LSE) spoke at a Constitution Unit seminar on devolution in England. The talk covered the history of English devolution, international comparisons, and some thoughts for the future amidst the current Brexit-dominated political landscape. Kasim Khorasanee reports.’

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UCL Constitution Unit, 24th April 2017

Source: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

The government’s ‘English votes for English laws’ review: an assessment – UCL Constitution Unit

Posted April 7th, 2017 in constitutional law, devolution, news, parliament, reports, veto by tracey

‘Last Thursday the government published its technical review of the operation of the “English votes for English laws” (EVEL) procedures in the House of Commons. The review concluded against making “any substantive changes”. Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny argue that this is a missed opportunity. The decision to close down this chance for parliament to engage in meaningful debate about the EVEL system is regrettable, and may prove to be short-sighted.’

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UCL Constitution Unit, 5th April 2017

Source: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Elizabeth Campion: The Constitutional “Ripple Effect” of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017 – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘Miller and others v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union [2017] UKSC 5 was highly anticipated as perhaps the most signficant constitutional case of this generation, stirring up such strong reactions that the judges of the Divisional Court who initially decided in favour of Ms. Miller were dubbed “Enemies of the People”. Two months after a majority of an 11-member Supreme Court confirmed that prerogative powers could not be used to invoke Article 50, however, the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017 (hereafter referred to as the “Withdrawal Act”) received Royal Assent, conferring power on the Prime Minister to give the notification required to begin the process of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union. The passage of the Withdrawal Act fulfilled the constitutional requirements identified in Miller formally, within the purely political timetable set by the Prime Minister at the Conservative Party’s conference and without any additional legal requirements being imposed by way of amendment. This not only sets the stage but also prepares the way for a more permanent sidelining of Parliament as the supreme legislative body in the UK’s constitution as part of the process of leaving the European Union.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 27th March 2017

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Davor Jancic: A Very Parliamentary Brexit: Satire in Two Acts – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted February 24th, 2017 in brexit, devolution, EC law, news, parliament, referendums, veto by sally

‘Brexit is a very parliamentary affair. The reason is that both the UK Parliament, the European Parliament and, in all likelihood, each of the parliaments of the EU Member States will have veto powers over the terms of Brexit. This gives them ample opportunities to influence the course of negotiations. Unless the wishes of all of these parliamentary bodies are accommodated, it will be a rather ‘hard’ Brexit indeed. This commentary examines the role of parliaments in the UK’s yet-to-be-triggered exit from the EU.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 23rd February 2017

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org