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29 April 2022 / Michael Zander KC
Issue: 7976 / Categories: Features , Constitutional law , Human rights
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A British Bill of Rights: going nowhere?

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Is Dominic Raab’s project doomed? Michael Zander reports on criticism from across the legal spectrum
  • With the next steps on the government’s proposals for reform of the Human Rights Act 1998 cautiously awaited, key figures including retired Lord Justice Sir Peter Gross, former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland, and the Law Society have already made their criticisms known.

The government’s consultation on the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA 1998) closed on 8 March 2022. We are in the waiting stage while Dominic Raab, the justice secretary, decides which, if any, of his proposals in the consultation document to put forward in legislation.

The consultation document was published on 14 December 2021, together with the report of the Independent Human Rights Act Review (IHRAR) chaired by retired Lord Justice, Sir Peter Gross (see ‘The assault on liberty updated’, NLJ, 7 & 14 January 2022, p7).

On 30 March, Sir Peter Gross spoke at University College London (UCL) about the independent review (available to watch here).

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley strengthens family law team

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Construction lawyer returns to Ward Hadaway in Teesside role

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird Bird hires leading legal transformation expert

NEWS
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

How forcefully can a litigant criticise a public authority before robust advocacy crosses the line into unreasonable conduct? 
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