17 December 2020

The saga of the Internal Market Bill has ended surprisingly harmoniously, showing the Westminster system with two chambers working as it should, Professor Michael Zander QC writes for NLJ this week
The infamous Bill contained clauses that would potentially allow ministers to act in breach of international law and clauses that enabled ministers to act without consulting the devolved authorities. However, the government withdrew the notorious clauses allowing ministers to bypass international law, and the Bill was due to receive Royal Assent this week.
Professor Zander concludes the Bill ‘can stand as a model of the important role of the Upper House in improving flawed legislation—provided of course that Ministers are prepared not only to listen but to act’.
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