This Note looks at some of the issues raised by legal challenges to the Armed Forces.
Debate on 7 November: The Armed Forces and Legal Challenge (357 KB , PDF)
In June 2013, the Supreme Court ruled that British servicemen deployed overseas could fall within UK jurisdiction for the purposes of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). In October 2013, the Policy Exchange think tank published a report which argued that such “legal mission creep” could “paralyse the effectiveness of the military”. This Note looks at some of the issues raised. It examines both the obligations of UK armed forces deployed overseas to local civilians and the Government’s obligations to members of the armed forces, particularly regarding the extraterritorial application of the ECHR. It also considers the prospects for change in the legal frameworks that apply to the military, including the possibility of derogation from the ECHR.
Debate on 7 November: The Armed Forces and Legal Challenge (357 KB , PDF)
This proposed law would prevent sentencing guidelines setting out when a pre-sentence report should be obtained from being framed by reference to the personal characteristics of an offender such as race, religion or belief and cultural background.
2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and Victory over Japan Day, events which in 1945 brought an end to the second world war. On those days 80 years ago, celebrations erupted across Britain. However, world leaders and domestic politicians were aware of the numerous problems still to be tackled, such as reconstruction, demobilisation and the legacy of the development and use of the atomic bomb.
The House of Lords is due to discuss NHS staff access to single-sex spaces on 1 May 2025. Following a recent Supreme Court judgment about the meaning of the term ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010, the Equality and Human Rights Commission issued an interim update on 25 April 2025 about the implications of this for workplaces and services provided to the public.
