Boris Johnson: What Is The Next Prime Minister’s Human Rights Record? – Rights Info

‘Boris Johnson has been named the new leader of the Conservative Party and the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.’

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Rigths Info, 23rd July 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

Protester who harassed Anna Soubry handed suspended sentence – The Guardian

‘Self-styled yellow vest protester James Goddard has been handed a suspended prison sentence and banned from an area around parliament for hurling abuse at the remain-supporting MP Anna Soubry. The pro-Brexit campaigner, 30, was filmed calling the former Conservative a Nazi and a traitor outside the Houses of Parliament in December and January.’

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The Guardian, 22nd July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Tom Spencer: The Sovereignty of Parliament, the Rule of Law, and the High Court of Parliament – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted July 18th, 2019 in judiciary, jurisdiction, legal history, news, parliament, rule of law, Supreme Court by tracey

‘The treatment of ouster clauses in R (Privacy International) v Investigatory Powers Tribunal has been said to violate parliamentary sovereignty. This post disagrees. That assertion, it argues, misapprehends the rule of law as founded upon the sovereignty of “Parliament” by “the High Court of Parlyament” as recognised in the Crown and Parliament Recognition Act 1689. The separation of the supreme court from the legislature in O’Connell v R, and the creation of the Supreme Court by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, undo neither the parliamentary character of the Court nor its participation in the sovereignty of Parliament. This view supports the dicta of Lord Carnwath in Privacy International, with whom Lady Hale and Lord Kerr agreed, that courts may refuse to recognise or enforce ouster clauses.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 18th July 2019

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

House of Lords passes amendment to help prevent no-deal Brexit – The Guardian

Posted July 18th, 2019 in bills, brexit, EC law, news, Northern Ireland, parliament, prorogation by tracey

‘Bill could make it illegal for a Boris Johnson administration to prorogue parliament.’

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The Guardian, 17th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Who was Carl Sargeant and what were the allegations against him? – The Guardian

‘Key questions answered as inquest into death of sacked Welsh minister concludes.’

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The Guardian, 11th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

What is a judicial review and can it stop a no-deal Brexit? – BBC News

Posted July 11th, 2019 in brexit, judicial review, news, parliament, prerogative powers by sally

‘Sir John Major has said he will seek a judicial review should Boris Johnson become Tory leader and suspend Parliament in order to deliver a no-deal Brexit. But, just what is a judicial review?’

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BBC News, 10th July 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Major: I will seek a judicial review to stop Parliament shutdown – BBC News

Posted July 10th, 2019 in brexit, judicial review, news, parliament, political parties by sally

‘Former prime minister Sir John Major has told the BBC he would seek a judicial review in the courts if the new prime minister tried to suspend Parliament to deliver a no-deal Brexit.’

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BBC News, 10th July 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ep 86: Brexit – The Conservative leadership election and a new EU negotiating team – Law Pod UK

Posted July 4th, 2019 in brexit, EC law, news, parliament, political parties by sally

‘Here Professor Barnard examines whether either candidate could sign up to a tariff free no-deal, the so called GATT 24 option, and what the timings for Brexit look like both here and in the EU.’

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Law Pod UK, 3rd July 2019

Source: audioboom.com

‘Parliamentary bible’ Erskine May available online for free – BBC News

Posted July 2nd, 2019 in internet, news, parliament by sally

‘Erskine May – the “bible” of Parliamentary procedure – is now available to read for free and in full online for the first time.’

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BBC News, 2nd July 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

MPs call for urgent electoral law to cover digital campaigning – The Guardian

‘The government must urgently legislate to ensure digital campaigning is covered by electoral law, rather than hoping Britain will not have a general election until 2022, a parliamentary committee has warned.’

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The Guardian, 2nd July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Mike Gordon: Privacy International, Parliamentary Sovereignty and the Synthetic Constitution – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The case of R (Privacy International) v Investigatory Powers Tribunal is the latest in a series of high profile judicial engagements with the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty. The case concerned the legal status of s.68(7) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, and in particular, whether this provision constituted a successful attempt to oust the jurisdiction of the High Court to hear challenges to the decisions of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal by judicial review.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 26th June 2019

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

MPs and lawyers call for investigation into privatised visa system which allows firms to make millions – The Independent

Posted June 24th, 2019 in auditors, contracting out, immigration, Law Society, news, parliament, visas by tracey

‘Cross party politicians back demands for urgent review into Home Office partnership with French firm Sopra Steria following warnings legal migrants risk being ‘thrown into the hostile environment’

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The Independent, 23rd June 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

MPs demand prosecutors reverse ‘covert change’ causing plummeting rape charges – The Independent

‘MPs are calling on authorities to reverse a “covert change in policy” on rape cases amid plummeting prosecutions. Only 1.7 per cent of rapes reported to police in England and Wales now result in a charge, and victims have accused authorities of “decriminalising” sex attacks.’

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The Independent, 23rd June 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

To shut down parliament would be simple. But it would be an outrage – The Guardian

‘The next prime minister will have the power to prevent MPs blocking a no-deal Brexit, though would he or she dare close the Commons for three months?’

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The Guardian, 13th June 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Sam Fowles: Can the Prime Minister Prorogue Parliament to Deliver a No Deal Brexit? – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘In recent days certain government backbenchers have proposed a new avenue to deliver a “no deal” Brexit.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 10th June 2019

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Brexit: Boris Johnson ordered to appear in court over £350m claim – BBC News

‘Boris Johnson has been ordered to appear in court over claims he lied by saying the UK gave the EU £350m a week. The Tory leadership candidate has been accused of misconduct in public office after making the claim during the 2016 EU referendum campaign.’

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BBC News, 29th May 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Abuse of MPs hitting unprecedented levels, says Met police chief – The Guardian

Posted May 9th, 2019 in brexit, harassment, news, parliament, police, statistics by tracey

‘Criminal abuse and harassment of MPs are running at unprecedented levels, reflecting “polarised opinions” in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, Britain’s most powerful police officer told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday. The warning from Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan police chief, was accompanied by official statistics showing that the number of crimes committed against MPs had more than doubled to 342 in 2018 from 151 the year before.’

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The Guardian, 9th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police call for change to ‘outdated’ protest laws after MPs threatened over Brexit – The Independent

Posted April 25th, 2019 in brexit, demonstrations, news, parliament, police, public order by tracey

‘A senior police officer has called for the government to change “outdated” protest laws amid a rise in threats against MPs. In the wake of protests by the UK “yellow vests” and other Brexit-related groups stationed outside parliament, Metropolitan Police commander Adrian Usher said officers were struggling to enforce current laws.’

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The Independent, 24th April 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

David Howarth: Westminster versus Whitehall: Two Incompatible Views of the Constitution – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted April 11th, 2019 in brexit, constitutional law, ministers' powers and duties, news, parliament by sally

‘Lawyers like to make as much sense as possible of the material in front of them, transforming it, if they can, from a jumble of decisions and remarks into a coherent whole. For constitutional lawyers that habit of mind is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because it causes lawyers to look for subtleties others miss (albeit sometimes subtleties they themselves create). It is a curse because when the material is generated by underlying mechanisms and ideas that fundamentally conflict, it leaves lawyers at a loss, or, worse, going round in circles.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 10th April 2019

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Parliament, not judges, should be helping separated parents – McFarlane – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 10th, 2019 in dispute resolution, divorce, families, judiciary, news, parliament, pilot schemes by sally

‘Resolving straightforward relationship difficulties between separated parents should not be a matter for judges, the president of the family division has said.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 10th April 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk