Human rights
This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on human rights. 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 |
|---|---|
| 22.07.2013 | In brief: the controversy over the November 2013 Commonwealth Summit in Sri Lanka |
| In November 2009, the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government Meeting (CHOGM) agreed that its 2013 meeting should be held in Sri Lanka. This decision has faced persistent criticism since then, with organisations including Human Rights Watch arguing that the Sri Lankan Government's human rights record is so poor that the Commonwealth should relocate the Summit elsewhere. The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, has rejected such calls. So far, Canada is the only Commonwealth member state to say that it will definitely not be attending the Summit. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, and the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, have confirmed that they will both be attending the Summit on behalf of the British Government (Prince Charles will represent the Queen). The official British position is that they will use their presence to raise concerns about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. | |
| 10.06.2013 | In brief: Iraq abuse judgment of May 2013 |
| 05.06.2013 | In brief: Kenya after the March 2013 elections |
| The 4 March presidential elections saw Jubilee Alliance candidate Uhuru Kenyatta win a narrow victory in the first round. , Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, are both due to be tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with the violence that followed the December 2007 elections. The victory of Kenyatta and Ruto has presented Western governments with a dilemma. While Western rhetorical support for the ICC remains strong, many in Kenya and beyond believe that pressure is being exerted on it 'behind the scenes' to soften its position so that the cases do not excessively impede Western cooperation with the new Government. | |
| 29.05.2013 | Azerbaijan 2013 |
| 13.05.2013 | Burundi: recent political and security developments |
| Since 2010 President Jean-Pierre Nkurunziza and his CNDD-FDD government have been at loggerheads with the main opposition parties. The stand-off has raised concerns that Burundi's status as a 'post-conflict' country might be in jeopardy. These concerns have been compounded by occasional armed skirmishes between the security forces and remaining rebel groups. However, with the next elections due in 2015, in recent months there has been some progress in terms of promoting political dialogue. |
Research Papers
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 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. | |
| 31.01.2013 | European Union (Approvals) Bill |
| The European Union (Approvals) Bill (HC Bill 121) aims to approve two draft EU Council decisions and one draft decision of the European Council (the EU Heads of State and Government). | |
| 06.12.2012 | Pakistan in 2013 |
| 2013 will be another important year for Pakistan. Federal and provincial elections will be held during the first half of the year. If, as seems increasingly likely, the Pakistan People's Party-led Government sees out its full term in office and hands over to a civilian successor, it will be the first time in Pakistan's history that this has happened. But the political and economic situation remains highly volatile and unpredictable. | |
| 01.06.2011 | Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Bill |
| This briefing on the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Bill has been prepared for the second reading debate on the Bill in the House of Commons. This is due to take place on 7 June 2011 | |
| 22.12.2009 | Crime and Security Bill. Bill 3 2009-10. |
| The Bill would amend the law governing the taking, retention and destruction of fingerprints and DNA data from persons arrested for, charged with or convicted of criminal offences. It would reduce the requirements on the police to record information following a stop and search. It would introduce new 'go' orders for suspected perpetrators of domestic violence, which could mean excluding them from their homes in order to protect the victim. The Bill would also, in effect, extend new injunctions for gang-related violence to 14-18 year olds, and require courts to issue a Parenting Order where a child under 16 had breached an Anti-social Behaviour Order. It would require wheel clamping companies to be licensed, and create a new offence of possessing an authorised mobile phone in a prison. It also creates a new offence of preventing a person under 18 from gaining unauthorised access to air weapons. |
Select Committee Reports
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 01.10.2011 | Legislative scrutiny: Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Bill - government response to the... |
| Government response. Home Office report [Commons] | |
| 14.09.2011 | FCO's human rights work 2010-11. |
| Government response. Foreign and Commonwealth Office report [Commons] | |
| 06.09.2011 | Terrorism Act 2000 (Remedial) Order 2011: stop and search without reasonable suspicion (second report).... |
| Human Rights Joint Select Committee report [Commons and Lords] | |
| 11.06.2011 | Legislative scrutiny: Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Bill; Armed Forces Bill. |
| Human Rights Joint Select Committee report [Commons and Lords] | |
| 07.06.2011 | Legislative scrutiny: Education Bill and other bills. |
| Human Rights Joint Select Committee report [Commons and Lords] |
Early Day Motions
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 08.02.2012 | DETERIORATING HUMAN RIGHTS IN TIBET |
| That this House strongly condemns the Chinese security forces' unwarranted use of force including opening fire on unarmed demonstrators to quash peaceful protests in Tibet; is greatly ... | |
| 25.01.2012 | INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY |
| That this House supports International Women's Day on 8 March 2012; celebrates the political, social and economic advancement of women while recognising the urgent need for further ... | |
| 11.01.2012 | HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAN (No. 2) |
| That this House is concerned by the practice of execution by stoning in Iran; notes that stoning is a particularly repugnant and cruel form of execution; is concerned that stoning is ... | |
| 20.12.2011 | HUMAN RIGHTS IN KAZAKHSTAN |
| That this House is deeply concerned at reports of the killing of oil workers in Kazakhstan who have been protesting about their living conditions and the poverty of their region; condemns ... | |
| 20.12.2011 | GUANTÁNAMO BAY |
| That this House notes that on 11 January 2012 it will be a decade since the first detainees were incarcerated at Guantnamo Bay naval base; believes that Guantnamo detainees should either ... |
Lords Library Notes
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 24.06.2013 | Debate on 27 June: the Challenges Faced by Women in Developing Countries |
| This Library Note focuses on the challenges faced by women in the developing world, and the action which is being taken by the UK Government, international governments and multilateral aid organisations to address these challenges. It briefly considers the significance of gender within the field of international development, and goes on to summarise some of the key research and statistics on the position of women in the developing world, focusing on four areas: education, employment, health, and violence against women. | |
| 17.06.2013 | Debate on 20 June: Report of the Commission on a Bill of Rights |
| This Library Note contains a brief summary of the development of human rights law in the United Kingdom and previous proposals for a British Bill of Rights, before précising a selection of the findings of the report of the Commission on a Bill of Rights. The Note concludes with an overview of some of the responses to the report. | |
| 19.11.2012 | Debate on 22 November: Successor Framework to the Millennium Development Goals |
| This Library Note provides background reading on the successor framework to the Millennium Development Goals. | |
| 14.06.2012 | Justice and Security Bill [HL] (HL Bill 27 of 2012-13) |
| This Library Note provides background reading in advance of the second reading in the House of Lords of the Justice and Security Bill on 19 June 2012. | |
| 19.03.2012 | Question for Short Debate on 26 March: Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army |
| This Library Note provides background information on steps to bring to trial Joseph Kony and other leaders of the Lord's Resistance Army. | |
| 03.02.2012 | Question for Short Debate on 8 February: Blockade of Gaza |
| This Library Note provides an overview of the blockade of Gaza by the Government of Israel, including its history, attempts to bypass the blockade and recent developments. It then examines the impact of the blockade on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and finally the response of the British Government. |
