Skip to main content

Brexit: acquired rights inquiry

Inquiry

The Justice Sub-Committee's report, Brexit: acquired rights, concerns EU citizenship rights. These are fundamental rights under EU law to live, work, study, and raise a family in an EU Member State of one’s own choosing.

There was much talk before the referendum that these rights would somehow be protected as "acquired rights". This was misleading. If the UK wants to preserve certain EU rights on withdrawal, it will have to ensure they are safeguarded in the withdrawal agreement.

The majority of the safeguarded rights are likely to be reciprocal with EU rights. The report recommends that a mechanism be established to ensure that UK law can take account of relevant developments in EU law, and, importantly, that EU law can take account of relevant developments in UK law.

Reports, special reports and government responses

View all reports and responses
10th Report - Brexit: acquired rights
Inquiries Brexit: acquired rights inquiry, and Brexit: acquired rights inquiry
HL Paper 82
Report
Response to this report
Brexit: acquired rights - Government response
Government Response
Letter from Lord Boswell dated 27 February 2018 to Immigration Minister on citizens' rights post-Brexit
Inquiries Brexit: acquired rights inquiry, Brexit: Citizens rights: follow-up, and Brexit: acquired rights inquiry
Correspondence
Brexit: Acquired Rights - Request for Government evidence
Inquiry Brexit: acquired rights inquiry
Correspondence

Oral evidence transcripts

View all oral evidence transcripts
1 November 2016
Inquiry Brexit: acquired rights inquiry
Witnesses Professor Catherine Barnard, Professor of European Union Law and Employment Law, Cambridge University; and Mr Anthony Speaight QC, Pump Court Chambers
Oral Evidence
18 October 2016
Inquiry Brexit: acquired rights inquiry
Witnesses HE Dan Mihalache, the Ambassador of Romania and HE Arkady Rzegocki, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland
Oral Evidence
25 October 2016
Inquiry Brexit: acquired rights inquiry
Witnesses The Rt Hon The Lord Howard of Lympne CH QC
Oral Evidence
Immigration Law Practitioners' Association (ILPA) (AQR0015)
Professor Vaughan Lowe QC (AQR0003)
Expat Citizen Rights in EU (ECRU) (AQR0014)

Contact us

  • Phone: 020 7219 3194 (committee staff) | 020 7219 5986 (Press Officer)
  • Address: EU Justice Sub-Committee, House of Lords, London SW1A 0PW