UK Joint Committee on Human Rights: Legislative scrutiny priorities 2015-16

Date: 9th November 2015
Category: Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC

The UK Joint Committee on Human Rights will be scrutinising every Government Bill for its compatibility with human rights obligations, such as those included in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and welcomes written submissions.

The Committee's scrutiny of Bills for compatibility with the requirements of human rights law will continue to include consideration of whether the Bill presents an opportunity to enhance human rights in the UK.

The Committee actively encourages input from the public into its legislative scrutiny work.

The topics that the Joint Committee will be focusing on are:

Policing and Extremism

The Committee considers that two proposed Bills and one proposed draft Bill in the Government's Legislative Programme for 2015-16 are likely to raise particularly significant human rights issues:

• Extremism Bill
• Investigatory Powers draft Bill
• Policing and Criminal Justice Bill

Introduced Bills

The Committee considers that some significant human rights issues may also arise in relation to the following Bills which have already been introduced:

• Armed Forces Bill
• Housing and Planning Bill
• Immigration Bill
• Trade Union Bill
• Welfare Reform and Work Bill

Proposed Bills

The Committee also considers that some significant human rights issues may arise in relation to the following proposed Bills which have not yet been introduced:

• Northern Ireland (Stormont House Agreement) Bill
• Votes for Life Bill

Written submissions

Submissions of no more than 1,500 words are invited from interested groups and individuals on:

• Any significant human rights issues raised or likely to be raised by each of the Bills identified above.
• Whether the Bills could do more to enhance the protection of human rights.

Short submissions drawing the Committee's attention to human rights issues raised by any other Bills or draft Bills in the Government's legislative programme are also welcome.

Submissions can be sent via the legislative scrutiny pages for each bill.