In Focus
On 26 November 2020, the House of Lords is due to debate a trade deal, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UK and Japan. This article looks at the deal and the scrutiny it has received from the House of Commons International Trade Committee and the House of Lords International Agreements Sub-Committee.
In Focus
In recent years, there has been extensive international debate about lethal autonomous weapons, referred to by some as ‘killer robots’. With disagreements regarding how they should be defined and if they should be banned, this article explores these issues as well as the UK’s stance on them.
In Focus
The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 provides the UK Supreme Court and the High Court of Justiciary in Scotland with the power to depart from retained EU case law after the end of the transition period. Draft regulations, introduced by the Government in October 2020, seek to extend this power to the Court of Appeal and other equivalent courts and tribunals. This article looks at the detail of the regulations and recent scrutiny that has taken place.
In Focus
The House of Lords is due to consider two related statutory instruments on 26 November 2020. Along with a third order, the instruments amend orders from 2019 which made provision for ‘Operation Brock’. This is a planned system to manage heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) traffic in Kent when there are delays in exporting goods from Great Britain (GB) to the EU after the transition period. This article examines what the 2020 orders do and why they are being made.
In Focus
The Law Enforcement and Security (Separation Issues etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 allow for the implementation of the separation provisions in the UK-EU withdrawal agreement relating to law enforcement and security cooperation.
In Focus
On 9 November 2020, the House of Lords voted to remove from the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill controversial clauses relating to the Northern Ireland Protocol. This article explains what these votes were about and considers what might happen in relation to these clauses in the bill’s further parliamentary stages.
In Focus
After the transition period, customs procedures for goods arriving from the EU will change. These regulations would amend earlier regulations by: delaying until 1 July 2021 the requirement for entry summary declarations for goods coming from the EU to Great Britain; introducing shorter deadlines for submitting exit and entry summary declarations for goods being moved to/from certain territories by short sea journeys; and correcting issues relating to economic operators registration and identification requirements.
In Focus
The Law Enforcement and Security (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 would amend the existing law on firearms and certain potentially explosive substances, known as ‘explosive precursors’. This is to take account of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.
In Focus
There is currently a system for mutual recognition of health and social care qualifications within and between European Economic Area states and Switzerland. The UK has passed legislation amending its provisions in this area to take account of its exit from the EU. In recent agreements with Switzerland and the European Free Trade Area states, the UK committed to conditions for these countries which go further than the legislation that has already been passed. The European Qualifications (Health and Social Care Professions) (EFTA States) (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 would implement these commitments.
In Focus
The UK will no longer be part of EU reciprocal and cross-border healthcare arrangements after the transition period ends on 31 December 2020. However, some groups of people will retain rights after this under the terms of the withdrawal agreement. The Government made regulations in 2019 to deal with reciprocal and cross-border healthcare if the UK left the EU with no ‘divorce’ deal. It is now planning to update these regulations to reflect the withdrawal agreement.
In Focus
Certain regulations on vehicles and carbon dioxide emission targets are currently regulated by the EU. The UK Government has put in place statutory instruments intended to retain these regulations when the transition period ends for leaving the EU. This article looks at three draft SIs which make amendments to current legislation to ensure the regulations can function effectively after the transition period, and that the UK meets its obligations under the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol.
In Focus
Almost 200 Covid-19 vaccine candidates are currently being developed. Ten candidates, including the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, are currently in largescale phase 3 clinical trials. This article provides an update on the Covid-19 vaccine, looking at when a candidate is likely to be available for deployment, who will be prioritised when a candidate becomes available, and how the vaccine will be distributed internationally.
In Focus
It has been 25 years since a peace agreement was reached between the three warring parties in Bosnia, marking an end to an ethno-territorial conflict which killed around 100,000 people.
In Focus
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives the public a right of access to information held by public authorities. This article discusses the act’s history, purpose, and how its provisions have been received over the past 20 years.
In Focus
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 was the first UK legislation protecting disabled people against various forms of discrimination. Years of campaigning and protests led up to the passing of the act, including incidents of civil disobedience. This article tells the story of the act and looks at what came next for disability rights.
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