Research Briefing
This private member’s bill would add a new registration route to the British Nationality Act 1981 so that Irish citizens who have been lawfully resident in the UK for five years could apply to be registered as British citizens.
In Focus
This briefing considers the benefits of sport and physical activity ahead of a House of Lords debate on the subject on 16 May 2024. The government and sports sector stakeholders agree that sport has many benefits for individuals and communities, as well as for the economy more broadly. The government published a new strategy for the sports sector in August 2023. The ambition of the strategy was commended; however, sports charities and the opposition suggested that more was required from the government to deliver on it.
Research Briefing
The Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 13 May 2024. The bill seeks to fulfil the commitment made by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on 10 January 2023 to quash the convictions of those convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal. It would extend and apply to England and Wales, and Northern Ireland. Its provisions would come into force at royal assent. During committee stage the bill was extended to Northern Ireland. There have also been calls for it to be extended to Scotland. The bill has received cross-party support but is controversial as the quashing of convictions by Parliament is unprecedented. In addition, concerns about the scope of the bill have been raised. The bill would not include individuals whose convictions were previously upheld by the Court of Appeal.
In Focus
Home Office data shows that approximately 40,000 people have entered the UK illegally since March 2023. The Illegal Migration Act 2023 deems asylum applications as inadmissible if the claimant has entered the UK illegally, but not all the act’s provisions have yet been commenced. This briefing summarises the migration statistics and how the government has said it will deal with illegal migrants in conjunction with its Rwanda deportation scheme.
Research Briefing
The Commercial Organisations and Public Authorities Duty (Human Rights and Environment) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Baroness Young of Hornsey (Crossbench). It would place due diligence obligations concerning human rights and the environment on businesses and public sector bodies. The House of Lords is scheduled to debate the bill at second reading on 10 May 2024.
Research Briefing
The Zoological Society of London (Leases) Bill is a private member’s bill sponsored by Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative). It would provide for the extension of the maximum lease available to the Zoological Society of London for land in Regent’s Park used by London Zoo. The House of Commons has passed the bill and it has cross-party support. The House of Lords is scheduled to debate the bill at second reading on 10 May 2024.
Research Briefing
The Pet Abduction Bill is a House of Commons private member’s bill. It would create two new offences of dog and cat abduction, and give ministers powers to create similar offences for other pet species. It has government and cross-party support.
In Focus
The gambling industry has expanded over recent years and increased attention is being paid to the issue of gambling-related harms and the role that the marketing of gambling services plays in exacerbating them. The House of Lords is due to debate these issues on 25 April 2024.
In Focus
The UN recently published a toolkit for law enforcement officials to promote and protect human rights in the context of peaceful protests. It includes key principles for the use of digital technologies in relation to protests. This comes at a time when there are debates around the use of live facial recognition technology in public spaces by police in England and Wales. The government supports developing it as a crime-fighting tool, but others are concerned about its impact on privacy and other rights.
In Focus
Under UK legislation, the government has a duty to consider deportation of foreign nationals convicted of an offence in the UK and sentenced to at least 12 months’ imprisonment. It can remove foreign national offenders before the end of their prison sentence through various schemes and through prisoner transfer agreements. The deportation of foreign national offenders is a government priority. During 2023, 3,926 foreign national offenders were returned.
In Focus
Members of the House of Lords will ask Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton a series of oral questions on 16 April 2024. Topics include the current state of freedom of religion or belief in India; what is being done to maintain support for Ukraine; when the UK will next hold a bilateral meeting with France on security issues; and whether the UK will mark the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe.
In Focus
Some separating couples apply to the family court to resolve disputes, such as where their child should live. Research has shown the negative impact that parental separation involving conflict can have on a child’s mental health and life chances. In January 2024, the government announced a reform programme of the family justice system to support families to resolve private family law disputes more quickly and protect children from lengthy court cases.
In Focus
Educational trips and exchanges can help young people develop language and life skills. However, school leaders, travel organisations, and the House of Lords European Affairs Committee have raised concerns that fewer trips are taking place, pointing to factors including travel complexities post-Brexit and budget considerations. The government has acknowledged the importance of trips and exchanges, highlighting the Turing scheme and the recent agreement to simplify travel requirements for school visits with France.
In Focus
The government has committed to increase house building and improve the UK’s infrastructure while also protecting and improving the natural environment. The balance between these two objectives has been considered by the House of Lords Built Environment Committee in a report on the impact of environmental regulations on development. This article summarises the committee’s conclusions and the government’s response ahead of a House of Lords debate on the report.
Research Briefing
This proposed law would clarify that litigation funding agreements (LFAs) do not constitute damages-based agreements (DBAs). The effect of this would be to give statutory confirmation that LFAs do not need to comply with the statutory and regulatory regime for DBAs to be enforceable. This would address recent concerns that many LFAs were unenforceable as a result of the UK Supreme Court’s ruling in R (PACCAR Inc) v Competition Appeal Tribunal [2023] UKSC 28.
Total results (page 10 of 68)