header-logo header-logo

24 September 2020 / Professor Mark Engelman
Issue: 7903 / Categories: Opinion , Constitutional law , Patents
printer mail-detail

Broken promises & the UK Internal Market Bill

28044
Mark Engelman outlines how the ‘Perfidious Albion’ of the government’s proposed intentions to breach an international treaty is nothing new

‘Perfidious Albion’, according to Wikipedia, is a pejorative phrase used within the context of international relations diplomacy to refer to alleged acts of diplomatic sleights, duplicity, treachery and hence infidelity (with respect to perceived promises made to or alliances formed with other nation states) by monarchs or governments of the UK (or England prior to 1707) in their pursuit of self-interest.

The government’s UK Internal Market Bill expressly admits to empowering:

‘Ministers to prevent the application of, and unilaterally re-interpret and disapply parts of the Protocol, as well as ignore their legal obligations under both domestic and international law to enact the Protocol.’

It goes on to explain that The Protocol is that part of the Withdrawal Agreement which sets out how goods will be traded between Northern Ireland and Great Britain (the rest of the UK) after the transition period ends.

Admission

This

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Nick McDonnell, Kain Knight

NLJ Career Profile: Nick McDonnell, Kain Knight

Nick McDonnell of Kain Knight reflects on an unexpected legal career, his drive to support vulnerable clients and the surprising pleasures of watching nothing happen

Mayo Wynne Baxter—Angela Arnold

Mayo Wynne Baxter—Angela Arnold

Mayo Wynne Baxter strengthens property team with new partner appointment

WilmerHale—Jeremy Kosky & Charlie Lightfoot

WilmerHale—Jeremy Kosky & Charlie Lightfoot

WilmerHale expands London disputes capabilities with addition of two leading partners

NEWS
Lawyers have welcomed the Lord Chancellor’s reverse-ferret on jury reforms, but expressed ‘serious concerns’ about the decision to exclude fraud trials
From ‘rats in the robing room’ to ‘overworked’ judges and a shortage of court staff, barristers have aired their concerns about the state of the justice system
The use of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) poses ‘significant risks’ across the justice system, public services and government, and current regulation is ‘poorly suited’ to control it, experts have warned
The solicitors’ regulator has paused controversial plans to exclude owner-managers from compliance officer roles
The government has launched a £16m legal support grant to support 48 frontline legal advice organisations supporting people facing eviction, problem debt, benefit disputes and family breakdown
back-to-top-scroll