This House of Lords Library Briefing provides information ahead of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples on 9 August 2019.
Indigenous Languages: Are They in Danger? (231 KB , PDF)
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is marked on 9 August every year. This date commemorates the inaugural session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations at the United Nations (UN) in 1982. As part of the International Day, the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues organises an event each year that brings together relevant stakeholders such as UN member states and agencies; indigenous peoples’ organisations; and civil society groups. In 2019, the theme is “indigenous languages”, focusing on the current situation of indigenous languages around the world. The theme coincides with the UN General Assembly designating 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages.
Indigenous Languages: Are They in Danger? (231 KB , PDF)
The prison population in England and Wales is at risk of exceeding prison capacity. To address this in the short term, the Labour government has changed the law to allow certain prisoners to be automatically released on licence into the community after serving 40% of their sentence in prison. This briefing explores what the reaction to the law change has been and whether there are alternative options that could prevent prisons becoming full.
Arbitration is a form of dispute resolution that enables two or more parties to resolve a disagreement privately through a third party instead of going to court. The Arbitration Bill [HL] would amend the Arbitration Act 1996, the principal legislation governing arbitrations in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland. The changes provided for in the bill would implement recommendations from the Law Commission following consultation with the sector.
![Arbitration Bill [HL]: HL Bill 1 of 2024–25](https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/International-trade-568x426.png)
The number of community sentences issued by courts in England and Wales has declined since 2012. A recent House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee report concluded that community sentences were falling short of their potential. The committee said better use of community sentences would help cut crime and ease pressure on prisons. The House of Lords is due to debate the report on 26 July 2024.
