The Social Responsibility, Action and Heroism Bill (the SARAH Bill) sets out various factors that the court “must have regard to” in determining the steps a defendant was required to take to meet a standard of care in claims for negligence or breach of statutory duty.
Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill (HL Bill 47 of 2014–15) (270 KB , PDF)
It was announced in the Queen’s Speech on 4 June 2014 that a bill would be brought forward “to provide that where a person acts heroically, responsibly or for the benefit of others, this will be taken into account by the courts”. The Social Responsibility, Action and Heroism Bill (the SARAH Bill) sets out various factors that the court “must have regard to” in determining the steps a defendant was required to take to meet a standard of care in claims for negligence or breach of statutory duty. The Bill completed its passage through the House of Commons without amendment and is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 4 November 2014.
This Library Note examines the background to the Bill, including the current legal framework; provides an overview of the Bill’s provisions; and summarises proceedings on the Bill in the House of Commons.
Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill (HL Bill 47 of 2014–15) (270 KB , PDF)
Advances in science and medicine led to rising life expectancy in the UK throughout the 20th century, but increases have slowed. Are we nearing the ceiling of life expectancy or will a new wave of research change everything? This briefing explores the science and policy implications of life extension.
The rural economy in the UK is made up of a variety of different industries, including agriculture and tourism. Rural areas contribute a significant proportion of the UK’s economic output. However, figures for England indicate productivity in rural areas is lower when compared with urban areas. This briefing provides a summary of statistics on the rural economy and outlines some of the challenges for achieving economic growth.
The importance of social cohesion and strong communities has often been discussed in the context of international events which have increased tensions between groups in the UK. This briefing examines what is meant by social cohesion, provides an overview of recent reports on social cohesion and communities, and sets out recent government statements on its policies to address concerns about social cohesion.
