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scrutiny bills 2014-15

Legislative scrutiny priorities for 2014-15

19 June 2014

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The Joint Committee on Human Rights scrutinises 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 assumed by the UK such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

The Committee’s scrutiny of Bills for compatibility with the requirements of human rights law includes 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 announcement of the Government’s Legislative Programme for 2014-15, the Committee considers that three Bills are likely to raise particularly significant human rights issues:

  • Modern Slavery Bill,
  • Serious Crime Bill, and
  • Armed Forces (Service Complaints and Financial Assistance) Bill

The Committee proposes to focus its legislative scrutiny work principally on these three Bills during the current parliamentary Session.

Submissions of no more than 1,500 words are invited from interested groups and individuals on:

  • Any significant human rights issues raised by each Bill; and
  • Whether the Bills could do more to enhance the protection of human rights

The Committee also anticipates that some significant human rights issues may arise in relation to the following two Bills:

  • Infrastructure Bill
  • Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill

Short submissions drawing the Committee’s attention to human rights issues raised by any of these Bills, or any other Bills or draft Bills in the Government’s legislative programme, are also welcome.

NOTE:

Submissions should reach the Committee by Friday 18 July 2014 and be addressed to Mike Hennessy, Commons Clerk of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Committee Office, House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA (email: jchr@parliament.uk).  Submissions must be received in electronic form in either Word or Rich Text format; a signed hard copy is also requested.

Material already published elsewhere should not form the basis of a submission, but may be referred to within a proposed memorandum, in which case a copy of the published work should be included.

Memoranda submitted must be kept confidential until published by the Committee, unless publication by the person or organisation submitting it is specifically authorised.

Once submitted, evidence is the property of the Committee. The Committee normally, though not always, chooses to make public the written evidence it receives, by publishing it on the internet (where it will be searchable), by printing it or by making it available through the Parliamentary Archives. If there is any information you believe to be sensitive you should highlight it and explain what harm you believe would result from its disclosure. The Committee will take this into account in deciding whether to publish or further disclose the evidence.

All communications to the Committee about its inquiries should be addressed through the Clerks or the Chair of the Committee, whether or not they are intended to constitute formal evidence to the Committee. 

Select Committees are unable to investigate individual cases.