Attorney General Dominic Grieve questions what Tories trying to achieve by replacing Human Rights Act with British Bill of Rights – The Independent

‘The former Attorney General Dominic Grieve has questioned what the Conservative Party is trying to achieve through its plan to replace the Human Rights Act with a new British Bill of Rights.’
Full story

The Independent, 17th May 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

HRA Watch: Reform, Repeal, Replace? Tobias Lock: Legal implications of human rights reform in the UK – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted May 15th, 2015 in constitutional law, devolution, news, treaties by tracey

‘The return of a majority Conservative government in last week’s general election in the UK has made the Conservative Party’s plans for reforming human rights law in the United Kingdom a likely prospect. It is recalled that on 3 October 2014, the Conservative Party published its policy document ‘Protecting Human Rights in the UK’ which sets out its proposal to repeal the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) and replace it with a new British Bill of Rights. In addition, the policy document also raised the prospect that the UK might withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).’

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 15th May 2015

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org/blog

News focus: law and justice pledges – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The general election manifestos are in – here’s our quick-fire summary of their headline pledges on law and justice.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 20th April 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Cameron and Clegg’s powers and funding pledge for Wales – BBC News

Posted February 27th, 2015 in devolution, ministers' powers and duties, news, Wales by tracey

‘David Cameron and Nick Clegg will set out plans to transfer more powers from Westminster to Wales on Friday, after months of cross-party talks. They include guaranteed minimum funding for the Welsh government and allowing ministers in Wales to raise cash from the money markets for major projects.’

Full story

BBC News, 27th February 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The Supreme Court in the United Kingdom Constitution – Lecture by Lady Hale

The Supreme Court in the United Kingdom Constitution (PDF)

Lecture by Lady Hale

The Bryce Lecture, 5th February 2015

Source: www.supremecourt.uk

English votes for English laws plan ‘could end hunting ban’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 5th, 2015 in constitutional law, devolution, elections, hunting, news, parliament by sally

‘Constitutional shake-up would shift the balance at Westminster in favour of repealing the Hunting Act 2004, Countryside Alliance believes.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 4th January 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Consult judges on devolution, says lord chief justice – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 4th, 2014 in bills, devolution, drafting, judges, judiciary, news by sally

‘The lord chief justice has called for judicial engagement in the drafting of new devolution bills that will be brought forward by the next parliament.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd December 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

The Judiciary, the Executive and Parliament: Relationships and the Rule of Law – Speech by Lord Chief Justice

The Judiciary, the Executive and Parliament: Relationships and the Rule of Law (PDF)

Speech by Lord Chief Justice

Institute for Government, 1st December 2014

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Speech by Lord Chief Justice: Cardiff Business Club – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted December 1st, 2014 in civil justice, courts, criminal justice, devolution, judiciary, legal aid, speeches, Wales by tracey

‘Speech by The Right Hon. The Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales at the Cardiff Business Club on 3 November 2014.’

Full speech

Judiciary of England and Wales, 27th November 2014

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Boris Johnson to seek control of CPS and court system in London – The Guardian

‘Boris Johnson wants to secure control of the courts and the prosecution service, a move which would put London’s mayor in charge of the criminal justice system in the capital, the Guardian has learned. The plan would see control wrested from Whitehall and the devolution of the most important pillars of the justice system.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

English laws options ‘due soon’, says Hague – BBC News

Posted November 3rd, 2014 in devolution, news, parliament, referendums, Scotland by sally

‘Options to give English MPs more say over laws affecting England will be set out over the coming weeks, the House of Commons leader William Hague has said.’

Full story

BBC News, 2nd November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Stop changing laws behind closed doors, say experts – The Independent

Posted October 20th, 2014 in constitutional law, constitutional reform, devolution, news, referendums by sally

Leading members of the civic society call for the public to be involved in an open discussion on how we should be governed in the aftermath of the Scottish referendum

Full story

The Independent, 19th October 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Mark Elliott: Scotland has voted “no”. What next for the UK constitution? – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted September 19th, 2014 in constitutional reform, devolution, news, parliament, referendums, Scotland by tracey

‘After a very long — and at times electrifying — campaign, a modest but decisive majority of those who participated in the referendum on Scottish independence have voted “no”. In one sense, this is the end of the process — even if, bearing in mind the main UK parties’ still-to-be-fulfilled promises about further devolution, it is only the beginning of the end. In another sense, however, it might turn out to be only the end of the beginning.’

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 19th September 2014

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org/blog

£300,000 on Supreme Court constitutional cases – BBC News

Posted August 11th, 2014 in bills, costs, devolution, ministers' powers and duties, news, Supreme Court, Wales by sally

‘More than £300,000 has been spent by the Welsh and UK governments on three Supreme Court cases about assembly powers, the BBC has learned.’

Full story

BBC News, 10th August 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ann Sherlock: Supreme Court ruling on Welsh legislation – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘On 9 July 2014, the Supreme Court delivered its unanimous ruling that the Agricultural Sector (Wales) Bill was within the legislative competence of the National Assembly for Wales.’

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 30th July 2014

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Regina (Flatley) v Hywel Dda University Local Health Board; Regina (Flatley) v Welsh Ministers; Regina (Dinghy) v Welsh Ministers – WLR Daily

Regina (Flatley) v Hywel Dda University Local Health Board;  Regina (Flatley) v Welsh Ministers; Regina (Dinghy) v Welsh Ministers; [2014] EWHC 2258 (Admin); [2014] WLR (D) 311

‘The function of the minister following a referral by a community health council under regulation 27(9) of the Community Health Councils (Constitution, Membership and Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2010 was to reach a final decision on a proposal put forward by a local health board. That function was directed at the outcome, there was no requirement for the minister to review the process, including any consultation, leading to the proposal, although the minister had a discretion to consider the circumstances of the process in reaching a decision on the proposal overall.’

WLR Daily, 10th July 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Agricultural Sector (Wales) Bill Reference by the Attorney General for England and Wales – Supreme Court

Agricultural Sector (Wales) Bill Reference by the Attorney General for England and Wales [2014] UKSC 43 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 9th July 2014

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Hyde Park bomb: NI Police Federation ‘appalled at grubby deal’ – BBC News

‘The chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland has said he is appalled at the government’s “grubby secret deal” on IRA “on-the-run” cases. He was speaking after the case of a man accused of the IRA Hyde Park bomb collapsed following what victims’ families called “a monumental blunder”. Donegal man John Downey denied killing four soldiers in the 1982 bomb. The case collapsed because government officials mistakenly told him he was no longer a wanted man.’

Full story

BBC News, 26th February 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The disunited kingdom: England, Ireland and Scotland – CrimeLine

Posted November 7th, 2013 in constitutional history, devolution, Ireland, news, Scotland, speeches by tracey

“A Lecture to the Denning Society, at Lincoln’s Inn by Lord Sumption on 5 November 2013.”

Full lecture

CrimeLine, 6th November 2013

Source: www.crimeline.info

Kapri v Lord Advocate (representing the Government of the Republic of Albania) – WLR Daily

Kapri v Lord Advocate (representing the Government of the Republic of Albania) [2013] UKSC 48; [2013] WLR (D) 281

“An arrested person who resisted extradition on the basis that there was systemic corruption in the judicial system in the requesting country did not necessarily have to point to particular facts or circumstances affecting his case since such corruption affected everyone who was subjected to it and it was impossible to say that any individual who was returned to such a system would receive the right to a fair trial within article 6 of the Convention.”

WLR Daily, 10th July 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk