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Opt-in inquiry,Law Society,Bradshaw

UK Opt-in and its use in international treaties with Law Society

5 November 2014

Image of UK Parliament portcullis

On Wednesday 5 November, Dr Anna Bradshaw will appear before the House of Lords EU Justice, Institutions and Consumer Protection Sub-Committee, as a representative of the Law Society of England and Wales.

Witnesses

Wednesday 5 November, Committee Room 1, House of Lords

At 4.05pm

  • Dr Anna Bradshaw, Member of the Law Society of England and Wales

Background

In the second session of its inquiry examining the UK’s opt-in and its application to international agreements, the Committee will speak to Dr Bradshaw, a former university lecturer in public law and human rights, who sits on the Law Society’s EU Committee, and has written widely on EU criminal law topics.

  • Following on from last week’s session, when two academic witnesses explained why they believed the Government’s policy was legally flawed, the Committee will explore a number of issues with Dr Bradshaw, including: 
  • the interpretation of the Justice and Home Affairs Protocol, as outlined in a letter from the Home Secretary to the Chairman of the Lords EU Select Committee;
  • the impact of the Government’s opt-in policy in relation to international agreements on legal certainty, and any concerns the Law Society may have about legal certainty for individuals in the UK;
  • the European Court of Justice’s decisions and the UK’s litigation strategy;
  • whether the European Commission has sought to circumvent the UK and Ireland’s opt-in rights; and
  • the advice the Law Society would give to the Government, given its belief that it should reconsider its policy on the opt-in Protocol.

Further information