Only days after the UK announced that it would opt in to a proposed EU law on the rights of victims of crime to ensure that Britons in another EU country will get a guaranteed level of support, the Justice Secretary has tabled a motion for debate in Parliament on 7 September on the Government’s recommendation not to opt in to a similar measure for people suspected of crime.
Jodie Blackstock, JUSTICE’s Senior Legal Officer in EU Justice, said:
It is imperative that the UK engages with this measure by opting in and ensuring that the final instrument protects the British public when they travel abroad. The UK has often opted in to proposed law in the EU where there is room for improvement and used our bargaining position to make those changes happen. If we don’t opt in, we lose our negotiating power, our vote, and our ability to finally raise standards across the EU. The possible reasons to opt out simply do not stand up to scrutiny.