This response addresses JUSTICE’s concerns with the Home Office’s draft Code of Practice issued pursuant to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, through its corresponding consultation. Section 37 of the Act allows authorised persons, chiefly police officers, to extract information stored on an electronic device if the device user has voluntarily provided it and […]
JUSTICE briefing for House of Lords debate on impact of Human Rights Act 1998
July 15, 2022
JUSTICE briefed House of Lords peers ahead of their debate on Thursday 14 July 2022 on the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998. The debate inevitably also addressed the Government’s proposals to repeal the Human Rights Act, through their Bill of Rights Bill. There was consensus from across the house at the debate that […]
Reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland – Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Northern Ireland) Bill
July 5, 2022
JUSTICE has been granted permission to intervene in the United Kingdom Supreme Court case of Reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland – Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Northern Ireland) Bill. The reference concerns the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Bill (the “Bill”), which the Assembly of Northern Ireland passed on 24 March 2022, […]
Joint Committee on Human Rights inquiry into the creation of a Human Rights Ombudsperson
June 30, 2022
JUSTICE and the Administrative Justice Council (AJC) have responded respond to the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ inquiry into whether a Human Rights Ombudsperson should be created. In May 2022, the Joint Committee on Human Rights launched an inquiry into whether a Human Rights Ombudsperson should be created, to improve how people could enforce their […]
JUSTICE responds to the Government’s legislation to repeal the Human Rights Act
June 22, 2022
The Government has today published its legislation to repeal the Human Rights Act. JUSTICE believes that this legislation will severely weaken rights protection in the United Kingdom, cause unnecessary legal uncertainty, have serious consequences for the devolved settlements and Good Friday Agreement and is inconsistent with our international obligations under the European Convention on Human […]
Seonaid Stevenson-McCabe announced as new Vice-Chair of JUSTICE Scotland
June 20, 2022
JUSTICE are delighted to announce today that Seonaid Stevenson-McCabe will take on the role of Vice-Chair of JUSTICE Scotland, succeeding Catherine Smith QC as Vice-Chair of the Scottish branch of the law reform charity. JUSTICE has been at the forefront of law reform in the United Kingdom since 1957, aiming to promote a fairer and […]
JUSTICE issues statement on the Home Office attempts to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda and condemns the Prime Minister’s attacks on lawyers
June 15, 2022
JUSTICE is relieved that the flight originally due to take 37 asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda did not depart last night following a number of legal challenges on modern slavery and human rights grounds. We welcome the interim measures granted by the European Court of Human Rights, which are only granted on an […]
Almira Delibegović-Broome QC announced as new Chair of JUSTICE Scotland
June 6, 2022
JUSTICE are delighted to announce today that Almira Delibegović-Broome QC will take on the role of Chair of JUSTICE Scotland, succeeding Shelagh McCall QC as Chair of the Scottish branch of the law reform charity. JUSTICE has been at the forefront of law reform in the United Kingdom since 1957, aiming to promote a fairer […]
Public Order Bill
May 23, 2022
The right to protest is a fundamental cornerstone of any democratic society. Protests can be uncomfortable, particularly for those who disagree with them. However, as the Government notes, “freedom of expression is a unique and precious liberty on which the UK has historically placed great emphasis in our traditions of Parliamentary privilege, freedom of the […]
Review of the Vagrancy Act: consultation on effective replacement
May 13, 2022
This submission sets out JUSTICE’s response to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Review of the Vagrancy Act: consultation on effective replacement. In responding to the consultation, we drew upon existing JUSTICE Working Party reports, including Mental Health and Fair Trial (2017), Solving Housing Disputes (2020), and Tackling Racial Injustice: Children and the […]