‘The government has been ordered back to the high court to explain its last-minute bid to delay publication of the UK’s clean air plan.’
The Guardian, 25th April 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Delivered to the fifth Annual Intelligence Community (IC) Women’s Summit.’
Home Office, 21st April 2017
Source: www.gov.uk/home-office
‘Legislation that would radically change the personal injury market and overhaul the courts has been dropped in the runup to the general election.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 20th April 2017
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Theresa May has deftly launched a gambit to get around the core purpose of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 – and all signs are that it will succeed without delay. The purpose of that Act (for a tidy summary of resources see here) was to stop prime ministers from calling an election at a time that suited the Government’s rather than the country’s political future. The Coalition Government formed between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in 2010 gave effect to the insistence by the Liberal Democrats that legislation put an end to the Prime Minister’s power to call an election at will. The Act prescribes five year periods between elections, alterable only by (1) the passing by the House of Commons of a motion of non-confidence without subsequent withdrawal, or (2) the passing by the House of Commons of a motion calling for an early election by a majority of two-thirds. The election that follows an early election will occur in May of the fifth calendar year following the early election.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 19th April 2017
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
‘Gina Miller, the pro-EU campaigner behind a successful court challenge over article 50, is planning to launch a tactical voting initiative to support election candidates opposed to hard Brexit.’
The Guardian, 19th April 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Coalition agreement introduced five-year parliaments but act allows for early elections if two-thirds of MPs vote in favour.’
The Guardian, 18th April 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘A terminally ill former lecturer has won the right to challenge the legal ban on assisted dying in the hope that he can end his life at home surrounded by his family.
The Guardian, 12th April 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘A factory worker has been jailed for four months for posting on Facebook a “sinister and menacing” threat to stab a Conservative MP to death.’
The Guardian, 12th April 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘More substantive than the 137 word EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017 (‘Notification Act’), which was passed by Parliament on 13 March, the Prime Minister’s 6 page letter of notice, issued under Article 50 TEU, is lacking in one crucial respect. This post asserts that, as a matter of UK constitutional law and in accordance with the EU Treaties as well as customary international law, conditionality should be inferred into this notice. Such conditionality manifests in the requirement of domestic Parliamentary approval at the end of the Article 50 negotiation process.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 7th April 2017
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘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.’
UCL Constitution Unit, 5th April 2017
Source: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
‘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.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 27th March 2017
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
‘On 7 March 2017, the House of Commons Committee of Privileges announced a new inquiry into the exercise and enforcement of the powers of the House in relation to select committees and contempts of Parliament.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 23rd March 2017
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
‘Children’s social services are being engulfed by a funding crisis in which nine out of 10 local authorities are struggling to meet their legal duties and families face a postcode lottery, a damning report has concluded.’
The Guardian, 20th March 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘A police team created to handle crimes against MPs has dealt with 53 complaints since the murder of Jo Cox.’
BBC News, 19th March 2017
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Labour Lords have launched a new drive to secure greater influence over Theresa May’s Brexit and secure the rights of EU citizens in the UK.’
The Independent, 16th March 2017
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘MPs are set to debate scrapping Britain’s “First Past the Post” voting system and switching to a form of proportional representation.’
The Independent, 15th March 2017
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘MPs will be banned from hiring their children and spouses on the public purse after the next election, it has been announced.’
Daily Telegraph, 15th March 2017
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘Theresa May has been warned that Brexit is heading back to the courts after she refused to give MPs a “meaningful vote” on any final deal.’
The Independent, 13th March 2017
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Parliament has passed the Brexit bill, paving the way for the government to trigger Article 50 so the UK can leave the European Union.’
BBC News, 14th March 2017
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A probe into peers who enjoy House of Lords perks without doing any work was dropped to avoid a “press storm”, a former lord speaker has admitted.’
Daily Telegraph, 13th March 2017
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
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