• In Focus

    Conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia

    On 2 November 2022, the African Union announced a peace agreement had been reached between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces. The truce followed nearly two years of intermittent fighting between the two, which has also drawn in troops from neighbouring Eritrea. A recent UN report concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe that extrajudicial killings, rape, sexual violence and starvation of the civilian population had been used as a method of warfare during the conflict.

  • Research Briefing

    Northern Ireland Protocol Bill: HL Bill 52 of 2022–23

    The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 11 October 2022. It would exclude some provisions of the Northern Ireland Protocol from applying in domestic law. The government says this is justified by necessity and consistent with international law, but others have disagreed. The bill’s wide use of delegated powers has also been criticised.

  • In Focus

    Effects of corruption in the UK

    Corruption can be defined as dishonest and illegal behaviour by people in positions of power. It threatens national security, reduces access to services, erodes public trust in institutions and impedes investment. Measures of corruption produced by organisations such as Transparency International indicate stability in the UK’s recent global corruption rank. However, anti-corruption experts have pointed to a number of recent scandals which are leading to the perception that corruption in the UK is worsening.

  • In Focus

    Human Rights Act 1998: Does it need replacing?

    The Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) provides the statutory basis in UK law for the protection of human rights and freedoms. The government recently published plans to replace the act with a UK bill of rights. This article looks at what the HRA does, why the government wants to reform it, and what the reaction has been to the proposed bill of rights and other reform plans.

  • In Focus

    Istanbul Convention: Preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence

    The UK signed the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention, in 2012. On 17 May 2022, Home Secretary Priti Patel announced that the UK’s laws were now compliant with the treaty and the government intended to ratify. The House of Lords International Agreements Committee has welcomed the ratification, but has expressed concern about two reservations the UK wishes to make from the treaty.

  • In Focus

    UN commissions of inquiry and fact-finding missions

    The UN establishes commissions of inquiry and fact-finding missions to investigate human rights abuses across the world. These bodies are mandated by a variety of UN entities, including the human rights council (HRC). The HRC is the principal intergovernmental UN body for promoting and protecting human rights, and for acting on human rights abuses. This article provides an overview of the investigative bodies it, and other UN entities establish to investigate violations of human rights and humanitarian law.

  • In Focus

    Queen’s Speech 2022: Brexit—Retained EU law and the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland

    The Government is planning to make significant changes to the legal status of retained EU law and the post-Brexit regulatory landscape. This would be through a ‘Brexit Freedoms Bill’ and standalone legislation in areas such as procurement and data protection. There is also speculation the Government may introduce a bill to override parts of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

  • In Focus

    Zimbabwe: conduct ahead of 26 March 2022 elections

    Elections for some parliamentary and local government seats in Zimbabwe took place on 26 March 2022. Journalists and members of the Citizens Coalition for Change opposition party accused members of the ruling party of political violence before the poll. Activists and the opposition also said that there were irregularities with the voting register.

  • In Focus

    Reforming the Human Rights Act 1998

    The Human Rights Act 1998 set out human rights protection from the European Convention on Human Rights in UK law. The impact of the act on parliamentary sovereignty and the criminal justice system, amongst other things, has been increasingly considered. Following several years of debate, the Government has recently revealed its plans to replace the act with a new British bill of rights.

  • In Focus

    Democracy under threat: a case for co-ordinated action?

    An ongoing decline in the global state of democracy has been identified by a number of recent reports, with restrictions introduced to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbating the issue. In December 2021, the United States held the ‘summit for democracy’ aimed at bolstering democracy. In the same month Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, called for democratic nations to form a “network of liberty” that spans the world.

  • In Focus

    AUKUS agreement to exchange naval nuclear propulsion information

    On 17 January 2022, the House of Lords is due to consider the agreement between the UK, Australia and the United States to exchange naval nuclear propulsion information. This article examines the details of the agreement. It also considers the international reaction to the formation between the three AUKUS security partnership countries.

  • In Focus

    Afghanistan: challenges for UK policy

    Even prior to the Taliban’s takeover, Afghanistan suffered from high levels of poverty and corruption and significant human rights issues. It was also heavily dependent on foreign aid. Many of these challenges have been exacerbated by the change of regime. This briefing summarises the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee’s report into UK policy towards Afghanistan and the Government’s response. It also considers recent developments and the potential future direction of UK policy.

  • Research Briefing

    Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dayton agreement

    This briefing has been prepared in advance of a House of Lords debate on 16 December 2021 on Bosnia-Herzegovina and upholding the Dayton agreement. The briefing provides information on recent developments in Bosnia-Herzegovina, focusing on warning from the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina that the Serb member of Bosnia-Herzegovina presidency, Milorad Dodik, was pursuing tacitly secessionist policies. It also summarises the international reaction to these developments.

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