JCHR legislative scrutiny priorities for 2010-11

The Joint Committee on Human Rights has decided to continue the previous Committee’s practice of scrutinising every Government bill for its compatibility with human rights, including common law fundamental rights and liberties, the Convention rights protected by the Human Rights Act 1998 and the human rights contained in other international obligations of the UK.  The Committee’s scrutiny of bills for compatibility with the requirements of human rights law will continue to include consideration of whether the bill presents an opportunity to enhance human rights in the UK.  The Committee actively encourages input from civil society into its legislative scrutiny work.

Following the publication of the Government’s Legislative Programme for 2010-11, the Committee has provisionally identified 10 bills and one draft bill which it considers are likely to raise significant human rights issues:

• Identity Documents Bill
• Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc. Bill
• Freedom Bill
• Armed Forces Bill
• Education and Children Bill
• Health Bill
• Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill
• Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill
• Public Bodies (Reform) Bill
• Welfare Reform Bill
• Parliamentary Privilege draft bill

The Committee proposes to focus its legislative scrutiny work principally on these bills during the current parliamentary session.  Submissions of no more than 1,500 words are invited from interested groups and individuals on:

• The significant human rights issues likely to be raised by each bill
• Whether the bill presents opportunities to enhance the protection of human rights.

Please note:

Submissions should reach the Committee by 8 October 2010 and be addressed to the Commons Clerk of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Committee Office, House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA (email: jchr@parliament.uk).  Electronic submission in Word or Rich Text format is requested, but a signed hard copy should also be sent.
Evidence becomes the property of the Committee, and may be printed, placed on the Internet or circulated by the Committee at any stage.  You may publicise or publish your evidence yourself, but in doing so you must indicate that it was prepared for the Committee. If you do this parliamentary privilege will not apply to your own publication, as evidence published other than under the authority of the Committee does not attract parliamentary privilege.

The full membership of the Committee can be found on the membership page.

Contact details for staff are also available.