@arabellalaw
Head of Public Law, Law Society Visiting Fellow, Essex Law School & Human Rights Centre Formerly Head of Research, Public Law Project; and treaties, international law, human rights, immigration, etc, House of Commons
NEW REPORT Criminal justice is coming apart at the seams. Police, criminal courts & prisons can’t cope with the level of demand and performance keeps spiralling downwards. Early positive steps from the government won't be enough to turn things around
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
Giving this talk tmr!
International agreements: what is parliament's role and why does this matter?
@lisajames.bsky.social and @arabellalaw.bsky.social explain parliament's role in scrutinising international agreements and how it could be strengthened.
Read it 👇
‘The current members of the Supreme Court, ten men and two women, all of them white, seem to regard the Human Rights Act as an unwelcome remnant of a past era.’
In his final piece for the LRB, Conor Gearty writes on the Supreme Court’s reinterpretation of the HRA: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Support for staying in the ECHR has been rising (probably a Farage effect of solidifying the majority who oppose him, maybe Trump osmosis effect). Media and political opinion on the right believes there is a strong public desire to quit. Badenoch has now committed the Conservatives to quitting.
Really enjoyed today’s discussion, expertly hosted by @lisajames.bsky.social
Features treaty scrutiny as a mainstream constitutional topic, an excellent new report from the Lords international Agreements Committee, and the scrutiny challenges cubed that devolved legislatures face.
🙏
The Constitution Unit. How should the UK’s parliaments scrutinise international agreements? 24 September 2025, 1:00pm–2:00pm. Arabella Lang (Head of Public Law at the Law Society and Visiting Fellow at the University of Essex). Lord (Peter) Goldsmith KC (Chair of the International Agreements Committee and former Attorney General). Clare Adamson MSP (SNP MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, and Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee). Chair: Lisa James (Senior Research Fellow at the Constitution Unit).
What role should parliament have in scrutinising international agreements with countries like Mauritius, the US and India?
On 24 Sept, join @arabellalaw.bsky.social, @clareadamsonmsp.bsky.social and Lord (Peter) Goldsmith to discuss just this at our free, online event.
Sign up 👉 buff.ly/T2ZL4WO
The Constitution Unit. How should the UK’s parliaments scrutinise international agreements? 24 September 2025, 1:00pm–2:00pm. Arabella Lang (Head of Public Law at the Law Society and Visiting Fellow at the University of Essex). Lord (Peter) Goldsmith KC (Chair of the International Agreements Committee and former Attorney General). Clare Adamson MSP (SNP MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, and Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee). Chair: Lisa James (Senior Research Fellow at the Constitution Unit).
What role should parliament have in scrutinising international agreements with countries like Mauritius, the US and India?
On 24 Sept, join @arabellalaw.bsky.social, @clareadamsonmsp.bsky.social and Lord (Peter) Goldsmith to discuss just this at our free, online event.
Sign up 👉 buff.ly/T2ZL4WO
Excellent news for roundhead colleagues. If you're lucky enough to work for a minister who'd like to exercise a delegated power or two before a certain date, but you're never sure how long an instrument has to sit before Parliament, our beloved egg timer (TM) now comes with a start date calculator.
*PSA OPPORTUNITY* House of Commons internship opportunity. This is exclusively for #EarlyCareer Network members of the PSA who are currently studying towards their #PhD.
📆 Apply by 28 September 2025
➡️ Full details buff.ly/xY1xXxn
#PoliticalStudies #Politics #PhDStudents #HouseofCommons
Letters from Yvette Cooper committees.parliament.uk/publications/49082/documents/258601/default/ and Angela Eagle committees.parliament.uk/publications/49083/documents/258602/default/ to HASC about why neither the treaty nor immigration rules have been subject to the normal parliamentary timetables
The UK government's rationale for applying the UK/France migration treaty before a parliamentary vote - via @cjmckinney.bsky.social
This appears to be what’s happened - see treaties.parliament.uk/treaty/Vpz4J...
Noting a few oddities in respect of the U.K./France migration treaty published on 5 August and already operationalised today. (Short 🧵)
www.gov.uk/government/p...
The Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean
Territory Bill publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbi...
Durham Law is hiring a 3yr career development fellow in public law! Some lovely ppl here: @jessieblackbourn.bsky.social @lizaoloughlin.bsky.social @seshauna.bsky.social @rogermasterman.bsky.social @dkagiaros.bsky.social @nataliesedacca.bsky.social ... and @aileenmcharg.bsky.social
rb.gy/ybcbpf
Is one of us about to be executed?
Do you have an idea for an innovative research project with a focus on inclusive #tradepolicy?
Applications are open for our Innovation Fund, offering grants between £10k-£40k fEC. We’re particularly keen to receive applications from or involving Early Career Researchers citp.ac.uk/innovation-f...
Fascinating resource and analysis here on training journalists about migration.
It would be great to explore (as the authors of the article suggest) how this model could be transferred to other contentious policy areas.
📢 Following the #AssistedDying Bill in the House of Commons today?
🧐 Confused about what happens at Report Stage? Our short briefing explains it all — from how amendments are selected and grouped, to how debates are organised and decisions made.
For the past couple of months I have been arguing in favour of a new Treaties Ratification (Parliamentary Consent) Bill with @hhesterm.bsky.social
I hope that parliamentarians might pick up this suggestion in the next parliamentary session if Ministers refuse to take action.
Great to see that the @hansardsociety.bsky.social
has joined calls for the introduction of a parliamentary consent vote for the most significant new treaties. Surely the time has come for the Government to admit that the current system is unsustainable.
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/publications...
JUSTICE is hiring a new Communications Officer 📢
We're looking for an organised and motivated new addition to our team to help tell powerful stories, drive policy change, and engage our community.
If this sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you!
Apply by Sun 22 June 2025.
The closest answer I ever got to this question was ‘probably’. But last time it was an option (I think the UK-Aus FTA), the opposition chose not to use their time for a treaty debate.
Here are all the parliamentary things to know about the Chagos Islands treaty. The objection period ends on 3 July:
treaties.parliament.uk/treaty/Qnu21...
*and involving very large public expenditure
Imagine a new UK treaty with major domestic and international implications were being signed today. Would you want your MP to have a say?
Here’s what I said recently about why that would be appropriate, necessary and constitutionally desirable:
committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence...
Very grateful to @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social
for highlighting the important issue of treaty scrutiny, the need for reform, and my proposed Treaties Ratification (Parliamentary Consent) Bill in the Law Society Gazette today. (Short 🧵)
