Lords EU exit regulations: 1 May
2 May 2019
On Wednesday 1 May, the House of Lords examined four statutory instruments preparing for Brexit.
A statutory instrument (SI), a type of secondary legislation, is a law created under powers given by an Act of Parliament. It is used to fill in the details of Acts (primary legislation).
The proposed SIs made changes to laws on effective sanction regimes in the following countries:
- Burma
- Venezuela
- Iran (specifically in regard to human rights)
- Republic of Guinea-Bissau
The Brexit SIs under examination on Wednesday 1 May were all made under the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and are changes to the law to be made in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.
All these SIs are made under the draft affirmative procedure, meaning they need to be approved by both Houses of Parliament before they can be made (signed into law) and brought into effect as law. Draft affirmative SIs can be stopped if either House votes against the government's motion calling for the SI to be approved.
Lords scrutiny
The House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee (SLSC) examines every SI, including all EU Exit SIs. It publishes reports drawing members' attention to SIs.
Further information
- Follow @ukhouseoflords on Twitter
- Connect with Lords on the Lords Digital Chamber
Image: House of Lords 2018 / Photography by Roger Harris