UN & the UK
The UK is due to be reviewed under the UN Human Right’s Council’s Universal Periodic Review in May 2017, and in preparation for this the National Human Rights Institution has submitted a report to the UN outlining he major issues facing Britain today and setting out 30 recommendations.
Evaluation of UK’s international obligations
An open letter has been published in The Independent signed by the UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador amongst others urging the British Government to ratify the Istanbul Convention – a major international treaty on domestic violence – as it has still failed to ratify it four years on from its pledge to do so.
OUP has written an article considering the relevance of international law in relation to human rights and business, including discussion of research into companies’ due diligence in human rights.
UK in the CJEU
In Tele2 Sverige AB v Post-och telestyrelsen; SSHD v Tom Watson & Ors (C-203/15 & C-698/15), the Court held that Members States may not impose a general obligation to retain data on providers of electronic communications services. EU law precludes a general and indiscriminate retention of traffic data and location data, but it is open to Member States to make provision for targeted retention of that data solely for the purpose of fighting serious crime, provided that such retention is limited to what is strictly necessary. Access of the national authorities to the retained data must be subject to conditions, including prior review by an independent authority and the data being retained within the EU.
UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU
Nicola Sturgeon has unveiled ‘soft Brexit’ plans for Scotland, aiming to stay in the EU single market after Brexit. However, Spain has been quick to reject these plans, demonstrating its fears of feeding its own nationalist debate over independence in Catalonia.
The HoC Justice Select Committee has heard from experts in commercial and family law on the implications of Brexit for the justice system.
Following the issuing of a legal opinion by the ECJ’s AG ruling that an EU free trade deal with Singapore must be agreed by all member states, a post-Brexit deal may have to be agreed by at least 38 national and regional parliaments. According to Business Insider UK this could be up to 48 different European governments with a veto power.
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