Committees

Priority Bills for 2016-17: Call for evidence

16 June 2016

The Joint Committee on Human Rights scrutinises every Government Bill for its compatibility with human rights, including common law fundamental rights and liberties, the Convention rights protected by the Human Rights Act 1998 and the human rights contained in other international obligations assumed by the UK such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

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 civil society into its legislative scrutiny work.

The Committee considers that four Bills in the Government's Legislative Programme for 2015-16 are likely to raise particularly significant human rights issues:

  • Counter Extremism and Safeguarding Bill
  • Investigatory Powers Bill
  • Policing and Crime Bill
  • Prison and Courts Reform Bill

The Committee proposes to focus its legislative scrutiny work principally on these four Bills during the current parliamentary session. The Investigatory Powers Bill and the Policing and Crime Bill were introduced in the last session and carried over to the current session. 

The Committee has already reported on the Investigatory Powers Bill and indicated that it may report further on the Bill during its passage through the House of Lords. The Committee has written to the Government about the Policing and Crime Bill but not yet reported on it. The other two Bills have yet to be introduced.

Bills already introduced

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

  • Children and Social Work Bill
  • Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill
  • Intellectual Property (Unjustified Threats) Bill

Proposed Bills

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

  • Criminal Finances Bill
  • Overseas Electors 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; and
  • 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 in the Government's legislative programme are also welcome. 

Please bear in mind that the Committee is not able to investigate individual cases. You should be careful not to comment on matters currently before a court of law, or matters in respect of which court proceedings are imminent. If you anticipate such issues arising, you should discuss with the Clerk of the Committee how this might affect your submission.

Further information

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