Civil law
This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on civil law. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.
Standard Notes
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 06.06.2013 | Mediation and other alternatives to court |
| Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is the collective term for settling civil disputes with the help of an independent third party and without the need for a formal court hearing. Alternatives to litigation include: mediation, ombudsmen schemes and arbitration. In relevant circumstances, ADR schemes may offer certain advantages over going to court in that they can be more flexible, quicker, less stressful and less expensive. | |
| 23.05.2013 | Civil legal aid: changes since 1 April 2013 |
| This note examines the changes made by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 and some of the further changes proposed in the Ministry of Justice's most recent consultation paper. | |
| 14.05.2013 | Domestic violence |
| Domestic violence accounted for 15% of all violent incidents in 2011/12. Nearly one third of women and nearly one fifth of men say they have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16. This standard note looks at the Goverment's policy on this area. | |
| 09.05.2013 | Enforcement of a County Court judgment debt |
| This note provides a summary of the different types of methods that can be used to force a judgment debtor to pay a County Court judgment debt. | |
| 23.04.2013 | Judicial Review: Government reforms |
| In December 2012, the Government published a consultation paper entitled Judicial Review: Proposals for Reform (CP25/2012) which ran between 13 December and 24 January 2013. The consultation sought views on a package of measures to stem the growth in applications for judicial reviews. |
Research Papers
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 19.03.2013 | Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill Committee Stage Report |
| This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill. It complements Research Paper 13/08 prepared for the Commons Second Reading. | |
| 26.02.2013 | Justice and Security Bill [HL] Committee Stage Report |
| This paper has been produced following the Committee Stage of the Justice and Security Bill in the House of Commons, which took place between 29 January and 7 February 2013. The Bill, which has proved contentious, was originally introduced in the House of Lords on 28 May 2012. It is aimed at modernising and strengthening the oversight of the intelligence and security services and would allow the civil courts to use 'closed material procedures' to hear sensitive evidence in cases that raised national security concerns. It would also preclude the courts from ordering the disclosure of sensitive information in certain circumstances. The Bill was revised significantly in the Lords and was introduced in the House of Commons on 28 November 2012. Second Reading took place on 18 December 2012. A number of noteworthy and controversial amendments were made to the Bill in Committee. | |
| 02.11.2012 | Trusts (Capital and Income) Bill [HL] |
| The Trusts (Capital and Income) Bill [HL] is based substantially on a draft bill prepared by the Law Commission. It is following the special procedure which applies to Law Commission bills. The Bill deals with technical and complex matters relating to trust law where trustees have to distinguish between capital and income in their management of the trust property. It is supported by the Opposition and by professional groups. | |
| 25.10.2012 | Family Justice (Transparency, Accountability and Cost of Living) Bill |
| The Bill has three parts. Part 1 deals with transparency and accountability in connection with cases concerning children and proceedings in the Court of Protection. Part 2 contains other provisions relating to the administration of justice; and Part 3 deals with the cost of living and measures to achieve lower fuel bills. | |
| 03.09.2012 | Defamation Bill Committee Stage Report |
| This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Defamation Bill. It complements Research Paper 12/30 prepared for Commons Second Reading. The date for Report Stage and Third Reading has yet to be announced. |
Select Committee Reports
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 23.03.2010 | Pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Civil Law Reform Bill. |
| Justice Select Committee report [Commons] | |
| 21.07.2009 | Green paper on the Brussels I Regulation. |
| European Union Select Committee (HL) report [Lords] | |
| 19.05.2009 | European contract law: the draft common frame of reference. |
| European Union Select Committee (HL) report [Lords] |
Early Day Motions
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 27.04.2011 | CIVIL LITIGATION COSTS REFORM |
| That this House expresses concern that the Government's proposals for reform to the costs regime for civil litigation will have particularly devastating consequences for human rights ... | |
| 21.03.2011 | LIBEL REFORM |
| That this House welcomes the publication of the draft Defamation Bill as an essential step towards the necessary and urgent reform of the UK's outdated and unbalanced libel laws; notes ... | |
| 06.01.2010 | VICTIMISATION IN THE WORKPLACE |
| That this House recognises that people who are victimised in the workplace or treated unfairly in the recruitment process need to be able to challenge employers and seek redress; understands ... | |
| 09.12.2009 | LIBEL LAW REFORM |
| That this House notes that human rights activists, scientists, writers and journalists are prevented from publishing, and the public prevented from reading, matters of strong public ... | |
| 20.07.2009 | SUPREME COURT OF ENGLAND AND WALES (S.I., 2009, No. 1498) |
| That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Civil Proceedings Fees (Amendment) Order 2009 (S.I., 2009, No. 1498), dated 10 June 2009, a copy of which was laid ... |
Lords Library Notes
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 30.05.2013 | Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill (HL Bill 29 of 2013-14) |
| The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill would extend civil marriage to include same-sex couples and allow those religious organisations who wished to do so to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies. This Library Note provides background reading in advance of the Bill's second reading in the House of Lords on 3 June 2013. | |
| 04.10.2012 | Defamation Bill (HL Bill 41 of 2012-13) |
| This Library Note is published in advance of the second reading in the House of Lords of the Defamation Bill on 9 October 2012. |
