Robert Greally: The Brown Report: Political Legitimacy and the Power of the Assembly – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The Brown Commission has recommended replacing the House of Lords with an elected Assembly of the Nations and Regions of the UK. In recent posts, the Commission’s proposals for legally empowering the Assembly to scrutinise bills and to protect the constitution have come under criticism on several grounds. First, there are concerns that the Assembly would be unable effectively to scrutinise ordinary bills, as unlike the Lords, the Assembly would lack the legal power to delay such bills. Second, the Assembly would be vested with the power to veto bills which amend existing constitutional arrangements. Yet the Commission not only fails to provide a definitive list of existing constitutional statutes that could be protected by the veto but also envisaged that in exceptional circumstances the House of Commons may still assert its primacy through a specific but currently undetermined processes. Thus, it has been argued the proposed position is not drastically different from the existing legislative process established by the Parliament Acts. Third, there is an implicit concern that the Assembly’s elected membership may hinder rather than facilitate the Assembly in scrutinising and protecting the constitution.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 26th January 2023

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Adam Tucker: Entrenchment, Parliamentary Sovereignty, and the Limited Radicalism of the Brown Report – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The publication of the Report of the Commission on the UK’s Future is attracting widespread attention. The centrepiece of its constitutional content is the replacement of the House of Lords with a new second chamber with new composition and a reformed role, which would have particular responsibility for territorial aspects of the constitution (discussed here) and act as guardian of (newly) entrenched elements of the constitution –not just in the devolution context but also more widely.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 15th December 2022

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Cabinet Office fined £500,000 over New Year honours list data breach – The Guardian

Posted December 3rd, 2021 in data protection, fines, government departments, news, peerages & dignities, privacy by tracey

‘The Cabinet Office has been fined £500,000 by the UK’s data watchdog after the postal addresses of the 2020 New Year honours recipients were disclosed online.’

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The Guardian, 2nd December 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police will not investigate cash-for-peerages allegations against Tories – The Independent

‘The Metropolitan Police will not investigate allegations that Conservative donors were given peerages in return for gifts totalling £3m or more.’

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The Independent, 13th November 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Legal action launched over Boris Johnson award of peerage to Tory donor – The Independent

‘Anti-corruption campaign the Good Law Project has launched a legal action over the award of a peerage to Conservative party donor Peter Cruddas. Boris Johnson overruled advice last year from the House of Lords Appointments Committee against making the businessman a Lord – the first time the watchdog’s recommendation has been ignored.’

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The Independent, 13th June 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Craig Prescott: Modernising the Monarchy: Moving Beyond the 1917 Letters Patent and the “George V Convention” – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted March 23rd, 2021 in constitutional law, equality, news, peerages & dignities, royal family by sally

‘In March 2021, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, gave one of the most extraordinary interviews ever held with a member of the Royal Family. It may have a profound and long-lasting effect on the monarchy, an institution that remains central to the UK’s constitutional arrangements. Already, there are calls for reform. This blog focuses on the section of the interview that discussed the lack of princely status for Archie, the Sussexes’ eldest child.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 23rd March 2021

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Child sex abuser given ‘preferential treatment’, says damning report – The Guardian

‘A top civil servant and a senior member of the royal household have both been criticised in an official report examining attempts by a victim of child sex abuse to have his abuser stripped of an honour.’

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The Guardian, 14th March 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

John Bercow: Formal complaint lodged against former Commons Speaker – BBC News

Posted January 23rd, 2020 in bullying, complaints, news, parliament, peerages & dignities by tracey

‘A complaint has been made against former Commons Speaker John Bercow by a previous senior advisor.’

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BBC News, 23rd January 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Honours system under scrutiny after sex abuser kept title for years – The Guardian

‘Lawyers have called for an overhaul of the honours forfeiture system after it emerged that a sex abuser retained an honour bestowed for services to the Queen some three years after a court recognised him as a paedophile.’

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The Guardian, 30th March 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Aristocrat loses court battle for family estate – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 19th, 2018 in appeals, divorce, news, peerages & dignities by sally

‘An aristocrat today lost a court battle with his mother over ownership of his family’s 3,000-acre estate after a judge dismissed his claim it was promised to him as inheritance.’

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Daily Telegraph, 18th December 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Lords committee defends decision to suspend Anthony Lester – The Guardian

‘A House of Lords committee that suspended a Liberal Democrat peer who it found had sexually harassed a women’s rights campaigner has defended its decision, after the upper house voted to block the punishment.’

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The Guardian, 20th November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Baronesses’ husbands should be made Lords because current rules are sexist, says Fiona Shackleton – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 16th, 2018 in married persons, news, peerages & dignities by tracey

‘The peerage system is sexist because husbands of baronesses are still referred to as ‘Mr’, according to one of Britain’s leading divorce lawyers. While the wife of a male peer is known as ‘Lady’, husbands of female peers are not awarded courtesy titles. It is an enduring symbol of inequality, according to Baroness Shackleton of Belgravia.’

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Daily Telegraph, 15th November 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Peers block Lord Lester’s suspension over harassment claims – The Guardian

‘A women’s rights campaigner has said she feels “victimised all over again” after the House of Lords voted to block the suspension of a Liberal Democrat peer who was found to have promised to make her a baroness if she agreed to sleep with him.’

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The Guardian, 15th November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Daughters in legal bid for House of Lords seat rights – BBC News

‘Five daughters of hereditary peers are to challenge a law that stops them from being elected to the House of Lords. They are taking the government to the European Court of Human Rights in a bid to end the system of male primogeniture which has resulted in almost all titles being passed to male heirs.’

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BBC News, 16th July 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

House of Lords under fire as peers who didn’t speak once claim almost half a million in expenses – The Independent

Posted November 15th, 2017 in expenses, news, parliament, peerages & dignities, reports by tracey

‘Campaigners have criticised “couch-potato peers” in the House of Lords who took part in less than a quarter of votes and did not speak at all in 2016-17, but still claimed a total of £462,510 in tax-free expenses. The 33 peers also did not table a written question or sit on a committee though claimed an average £14,015 each, or £746 per vote, the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) said in a new report.’

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The Independent, 15th November 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Peers could be restricted to 15 years in Lords in drive to cut numbers – The Guardian

Posted October 17th, 2017 in news, parliament, peerages & dignities, reports, time limits by tracey

‘New peers could be restricted to sitting in the House of Lords for 15 years, rather than being given life peerages, under plans to slash the numbers in the house.’

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The Guardian, 17th October 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

“Misconduct in Public Office” revisited – Law & Religion UK

‘Publication of An Abuse of Faith – the independent report by Dame Moira Gibb into the Church’s handling of the Bishop Peter Ball case – prompted a number of comments concerning possible follow-up actions in relation to Lord Carey’s involvement.’

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Law & Religion UK, 30th June 2017

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Lord Janner’s family have hearing request rejected – BBC News

‘The family of the late Lord Janner have lost their battle to have a hearing to discuss concerns about the inquiry into allegations against him.’

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BBC News, 3rd May 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Inquiry finds peers claiming £300 a day for no work – but it is axed to avoid ‘press storm’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 14th, 2017 in expenses, inquiries, news, parliament, peerages & dignities by tracey

‘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.’

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Daily Telegraph, 13th March 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

House of Lords drops tough new rule to kick out members who misbehave after opposition from peers – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 3rd, 2017 in disciplinary procedures, news, parliament, peerages & dignities by tracey

‘Tough new rules to kick misbehaving peers out of the House of Lords have been dropped because of opposition from members of the un-elected second chamber.’

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Daily Telegraph, 2nd March 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk