Documents to download

This Library Note provides background reading in advance of the debate to be held on 20 June on: “the report of the Commission on a British Bill of Rights”. The Note contains a brief summary of the development of human rights law in the United Kingdom and previous proposals for a British Bill of Rights, before précising a selection of the findings of the report of the Commission on a Bill of Rights. The Note concludes with an overview of some of the responses to the report.


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