9 October 2018 JUSTICE has submitted a briefing on the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill 2017-19 ahead of the House of Lords Second Reading on Tuesday 9 October. The briefing details our concerns regarding the new port and border controls (Clause 21, Schedule 3); expanded retention of biometric data (Clause 18, Schedule 2); and the […]
The rights implications of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill: Joint briefing
October 24, 2017
JUSTICE has joined with Liberty, Amnesty International UK and the Public Law Project to produce a briefing urging MPs to support a few amendments to prevent any rollback of rights in the EU (Withdrawal Bill). These amendments are already tabled and have cross-party support. Leaving the EU need not – and should not – in ordinary people […]
EU Withdrawal Bill: Second Reading Briefing
September 6, 2017
JUSTICE has produced a Second Reading briefing on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19. There are four areas of concern for us in the drafting of the Bill and presumptions raised in it, borne out of one overarching difficulty. While we accept that legislating for exit is a monumental task, and this Bill is attempting to […]
Prisons and Courts Bill: JUSTICE briefing
April 6, 2017
JUSTICE has produced a briefing on the Prisons and Courts Bill for the Second Reading. It addresses our initial concerns over the written and online processes created by Part 2, and the changes proposed to the judiciary and the Judicial Appointments Commission in Parts 3 and 4: For Part 2, there are a number of principles […]
Directive on presumption of innocence
March 11, 2015
The EU Roadmap on procedural rights for suspects and accused people in criminal matters continues apace, with three Commission proposals for Directives being considered by the institutions: the right to legal aid; procedural safeguards for children; and strengthening certain aspects of the presumption of innocence and the right to be present at trial. The UK […]
A Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland
December 19, 2014
What is this Northern Ireland bill of rights about? For the last ten years, following the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in 1998 – which brought the conflict in Northern Ireland to an end – there has been a debate going on in Northern Ireland about a bill of rights. But to really understand that debate, […]
Immigration Bill
February 10, 2014
JUSTICE is concerned that the Immigration Bill would create a more legally obscure system of immigration control, which places greater power in the hands of administrative authorities without effective means of independent oversight. We regret that the proposal to remove access to an independent determination on appeal from most applicants will – in practice – […]
Anti-social, Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill
January 16, 2014
The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill was introduced in the House of Commons following the Queen’s speech on 9th May 2013 and had its second reading on the 10th June 2013. Parts 1-6 of the Bill represent the government’s attempt to overhaul the statutory powers available to tackle anti-social behaviour and disorderly conduct. The […]
Secret Courts Rules: Civil Procedures (Amendment No.5) Rules 2013
July 1, 2013
On 26 June 2013, the Government tabled the Civil Procedure (Amendment No 5) Rules 2013 (“the Rules”) in both Houses of Parliament. The Rules came into force the following day and will lapse unless approved by both Houses within 40 days. Made pursuant to Schedule 3(3) of the Act the Rules will amend the Civil […]
Directive on the Right of Access to a Lawyer and to Communicate Upon Arrest
April 2, 2013
For the past two years the EU Institutions have been considering the adoption of the third measure on a Roadmap to strengthen procedural safeguards for suspects and accused persons in criminal proceedings. The proposed directive on the right of access to a lawyer in criminal proceedings and on the right to communicate upon arrest (Measure […]