In Focus
In December 2019, the High Court published a ruling concerning the Post Office’s Horizon electronic accounting system. This article outlines the dispute between sub-postmasters and the Post Office over the operation of this system. It also summarises calls for the Government to establish a public enquiry.
Current Affairs Digest
Catch up on articles you may have missed on the constitution, government and parliament from May 2020. Articles this month take a closer look at Covid-19 and human rights legislation.
Research Briefing
A range of international bodies and coalitions are responding to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Research Briefing
The Government has set up a scheme to compensate those affected by the Windrush scandal. This briefing explains the scheme and considers criticisms of it so far.
Research Briefing
Royal commissions have fallen out of use over recent decades, but they could be set to make a return. The Conservative manifesto of 2019 promised to set up a royal commission on the criminal justice system. This briefing looks at the background to royal commissions.
Current Affairs Digest
Catch up on articles you may have missed about the constitution, government and parliament from April 2020. Articles this month look at types of governance, and the virtual running of parliament in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Research Briefing
This government bill would provide parliamentary authorisation for Windrush compensation scheme payments. While the bill has received cross-party support, opposition parties have remained critical of the compensation scheme.
In Focus
This article examines the potential pressures the Covid-19 pandemic may put on policing, along with the changes that have been made to help forces manage.
Research Briefing
The Government has proposed setting up a constitution, democracy and rights commission to consider broad aspects of the UK’s constitution. This would look at issues including the relationship between the government, parliament, and the courts; the functioning of the royal prerogative; the role of the House of Lords; and access to justice.
In Focus
The limited role of the House of Lords in scrutinising government spending and taxation has developed gradually over time. This article summarises the history of the House of Lords’ role and the development of the financial privilege of the House of Commons.
In Focus
The Government recently introduced the Coronavirus Bill 2020, which would give it new emergency powers. This article looks at the powers the Government already has to deal with emergencies.
Research Briefing
The Ministerial Code sets out the standards of conduct expected of ministers. It has garnered renewed media interest with recent allegations of potential breaches, with particular reference to alleged bullying of civil servants.
Research Briefing
This House of Lords Library briefing provides information on the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill [HL] in advance of its second reading, due to take place in the House of Lords on 13 March 2020.
Research Briefing
The coronavirus was declared a public health emergency on 30 January 2020 by the World Health Organisation (WHO), only the sixth such emergency since 2009. The declaration followed reports on 31 December 2019 of an unknown virus causing a number of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, a city in eastern China. The virus was later identified as a new strain of coronavirus (Cov). This House of Lords Library briefing provides information about: the virus, including its spread and impact; what action the WHO and UK Government have taken; and the problem of disinformation in relation to the disease.
In Focus
The Bank of England operates monetary policy in the UK. This article describes how, for much of its history, this involving maintaining the convertibility of the currency into bullion—the gold standard. More recently, the aims of policy have shifted, with the current target being to control inflation. However, debates continue about the appropriate targets of monetary policy, its links with fiscal policy and other aspects of the Bank’s operations.
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