Committees

How will Brexit affect family and commercial law?

24 February 2020

The EU Justice Sub-Committee holds a one-off evidence session with legal experts about what will happen to civil justice cooperation with the EU.

Background

Civil justice cooperation between Member States provides simplicity and clarity for families and businesses who operate in more than one EU country. From divorces to employment disputes, regulations set out where disputes should be dealt with and provide for mutual recognition and enforcement of judgments across all Member States.

At the end of the Brexit implementation period, when EU law no longer applies in the UK, it is unclear to what extent any cooperation will be maintained. The Committee has conducted two previous inquiries into civil justice cooperation after Brexit, and raised a number of concerns about the lack of firm proposals from Government on what, if anything, will replace the current framework – which plays a significant role in the lives of those whose business or family affairs is split between the UK and the EU. The recently published EU Commission proposals for negotiations on a future relationship with the UK make no mention of including civil law within the scope of the negotiations.

Witnesses

Tuesday 25 February in Committee Room 3, Palace of Westminster

At 10.45am

  • Dr Helena Raulus, Head of the Brussels Office of the UK Law Societies
  • Mr Christopher Hames QC, The Bar Council
  • Professor Nigel Lowe QC (Hon), Emeritus Professor, Cardiff University
  • Jacqueline Renton, barrister, 4 Paper Buildings

Areas of discussion

Topics likely to be covered include:

  • What progress has been made on this issue since the Committee last considered it.
  • What impact no longer being part of EU cooperation in this field is likely to have.
  • What alternative arrangements could be put in place.
  • Whether it could result in more work for UK courts, and whether they have the resources to deal with this.

Further information