Madeline Gleeson & Theodore Konstadinides: The UK’s Rwanda policy and Lessons from Australia- UK Constitutional Law Association

‘In November 2023, the Supreme Court of the UK dealt a critical blow to the government’s proposal to send certain asylum seekers to the Republic of Rwanda. In AAA and Others v the Home Secretary, the Court ruled that removal to Rwanda would be unlawful because that country was not, at the time, a ‘safe country’.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 14th March 2024

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Civil servants threaten ministers with legal action over Rwanda bill – The Guardian

‘Civil servants have threatened ministers with legal action over concerns that senior Home Office staff could be in breach of international law if they implement the government’s Rwanda deportation bill.’

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The Guardian, 12th March 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

When Treaties are Forbidden – EIN Blog

‘Safe Third Country (STC) agreements involve the transfer of protection-seekers from one State to another. They take different forms, including bilateral treaties (the UK-Rwanda Treaty), political agreements (the Italy-Albania MoU) and regional mechanisms (Dublin III). They are usually justified as a means of sharing responsibility for protecting refugees and ‘managing’ access to asylum determination processes, as is the case for the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement. In other contexts their explicit purpose is to deter and to punish.

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EIN Blog, 29th February 2024

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Law body considers which law governs digital asset disputes – OUT-LAW.com

‘The Law Commission of England and Wales has opened a new project to examine how questions on the application of private international law should be answered in the context of disputes over digital assets or electronic trade documents.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 29th February 2024

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

High court rejects legal challenge over UK arms sales to Israel – The Guardian

Posted February 21st, 2024 in government departments, human rights, international law, Israel, news, war, weapons by sally

‘The high court has dismissed a case urging the suspension of UK arms sales to Israel.’

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The Guardian, 20th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office plans new protest offences and anti-Zionism is a protected belief – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The Home Office has announced its intention to create new offences relating to actions taken by attendees at protests. The plans include making it an offence to possess flares or pyrotechnics at a protest, to wear a face covering at a protest, and to climb on war memorials. The changes will be added as amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill. The Home Office has emphasised that the new rules are not a blanket ban on face coverings, and only apply where the protester’s intention is to conceal their identity.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 12th February 2024

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

UK’s Rwanda bill ‘incompatible with human rights obligations’ – The Guardian

‘The UK government’s controversial Rwanda legislation that deems the African country as a safe place to deport people to is fundamentally incompatible with Britain’s human rights obligations and places it in breach of international law, according to a damning parliamentary report.’

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The Guardian, 12th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Even many critics of the Rwanda deportation policy are missing the point of why it’s wrong – EIN Blog

‘The UK government’s proposals to send asylum seekers arriving to the UK onto Rwanda continue to spark intense opposition.’

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EIN Blog, 6th February 2024

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Unmanaged illegal migration brings rule of law into disrepute – Chalk – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 2nd, 2024 in immigration, international law, news, rule of law, Russia, Ukraine, war by sally

‘Unmanaged illegal migration risks bringing the rule of law into disrepute, the lord chancellor said last night. In a speech to legislators and lawyers during a visit to the US, Alex Chalk MP said such migration “disregards borders and is putting undue pressure on the national systems of rules-based countries like ours and is a fundamental challenge to our democracies.”‘

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Law Society's Gazette, 1st February 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

UNHCR says Sunak’s new Rwanda bill still violates international humanitarian law – The Independent

Posted January 16th, 2024 in asylum, bills, international law, news, refugees, Rwanda by tracey

‘The new Rwanda deal proposed by Rishi Sunak’s government is still “not compatible” with international refugee law, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said. The UNHCR has published its legal assessment of the bill designed to allow Britain to send asylum seekers who arrive illegally in the UK to Rwanda.’

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The Independent, 16th January 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK citizens and businesses to be spared time and money on cross-border legal disputes – Ministry of Justice

‘Firms caught up in endless international legal disputes will be spared time and money thanks to Ministers signing up to the 2019 Hague Convention today (12 January 2024).’

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Ministry of Justice, 12th January 2024

Source: www.gov.uk

‘Significant step forward’ as Hague Convention signed – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The UK’s appeal to businesses as a centre for dispute resolution will be boosted by the signing of the 2019 Hague Convention on private international law, the government said today. The treaty, signed in the Netherlands by justice minister Lord Bellamy this week, creates international framework of rules for recognition and enforcement of judgments in cross-border civil disputes.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 12th January 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Can the new Rwanda bill work and what could stop it? – BBC News

Posted December 7th, 2023 in asylum, bills, human rights, immigration, international law, news, Rwanda, Supreme Court, treaties by michael

‘Expert lawyers who have been involved in the Rwanda case – or supported the challenge to the policy – have described new legislation as potentially setting up a politically explosive fight with both the Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights.’

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BBC News, 6th December 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sunak’s bill aims to block UK human rights law to save Rwanda scheme – The Guardian

Posted December 7th, 2023 in asylum, bills, human rights, immigration, international law, news, Rwanda, Supreme Court, treaties by michael

‘An emergency bill published on Wednesday will assert that ministers have the power to ignore judgments that come from Strasbourg while stopping short of leaving or “disapplying” the European convention on human rights.’

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The Guardian, 6th October 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK anti-strike rules may breach international law, MPs and peers warn – The Guardian

‘Workers in some public sector jobs will be completely prevented from striking under restrictive rules that may breach international law, parliament’s watchdog on human rights has said.’

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The Guardian, 28th November 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Theodore Konstadinides: Reassessing the UK’s Rwanda Asylum Policy: Tinkering with International Law and the Constitution – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘On 15 November, the Supreme Court issued its much-awaited judgment in the case of AAA and others v the Home Secretary, commonly referred to as the Rwanda asylum policy case. The decision came notably quickly, almost a month after the case was heard, indicating the Court’s responsiveness to the urgency and the wider public interest surrounding the case. Despite the swift turnaround, the judgment was meticulously formulated, reflecting the serious implications of the case.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 21st November 2023

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Just Stop Oil protesters’ jail terms potentially breach international law, UN expert says – The Guardian

‘Long sentences handed to two Just Stop Oil protesters for scaling the M25 bridge over the Thames are a potential breach of international law and risk silencing public concerns about the environment, a UN expert has said.’

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The Guardian, 20th November 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

TUC complains to UN watchdog over ‘undemocratic’ UK anti-strike law – The Guardian

‘The Trades Union Congress has lodged a complaint with the UN’s labour standards body claiming the UK government flouted the watchdog’s orders over its newly enforced “undemocratic” anti-strike law.’

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The Guardian, 10th September 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

New collaboration on scoping study on international cooperation in criminal law – Law Commission

Posted September 8th, 2023 in criminal justice, international law, Law Commission, news by tracey

‘In a new initiative, the Law Commission of England and Wales has invited the Criminal Law Reform Now Network (CLRNN), an established research network, to look at whether a law reform project on international cooperation in criminal law is needed and, if so, what the scope might be.’

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Law Commission, 7th September 2023

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk

UK cannot ignore calls for slavery reparations, says leading UN judge – The Guardian

‘A leading judge at the international court of justice has said the UK will no longer be able to ignore the growing calls for reparation for transatlantic slavery.’

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The Guardian, 22nd August 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com