Sir Stephen Laws: Giving “Deemed” Domestic Law Status to Retained EU Law – Constitutional Law Association
‘In his latest blog on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, Paul Craig criticises the recommendation of the House of Lords Constitution Committee (“HLCC”), at paras 70 and 93, that all retained direct EU law (defined by the HLCC to encompass all the law continued under clauses 3 and 4 of the Withdrawal Bill) should be given the status of domestic primary legislation passed immediately before exit day. He suggests, instead, a hierarchy in which some law continued in force under clause 3 should be “deemed to be a statutory instrument”. This formulation is intended, it seems, to do more than its usual job (which is confined to attracting the provisions of the Statutory Instruments 1946, which are largely irrelevant for present purposes). It appears to be intended, instead, to give the law in question the status of subordinate legislation made under legislative powers delegated to the executive. But what practical effects is it designed to produce?’
Constitutional Law Association, 28th February 2018
Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org
