Queen's Speech proposes adoption & Bill of Rights reforms

Family lawyers will be keeping a close eye on plans to speed up adoption, announced in this week’s Queen’s Speech.

The Children and Social Work Bill would put into practice a legacy policy for the prime minister, both changing the requirements to be taken into consideration in adoption cases and creating a “care leavers’ covenant” where looked-after children would be given support until they are 25-years-old.

The Criminal Finances Bill would make it a criminal offence for companies to fail to prevent their staff facilitating tax evasion, and would also strengthen anti-money laundering policy.

Plans for a British Bill of Rights to replace the Human Rights Act will be published in “due course”, as will measures to measures to encourage investment in driverless cars and drones. 

Courts and tribunals are to be modernised, with greater use of technology to reduce delays, while the focus in new prisons will be on training, rehabilitation and education.

In all, the Queen announced 20 Bills.

Chairman of the Bar, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC says: “Today’s Queen’s Speech, delivered against the backdrop of continued economic austerity, highlighted the government’s drive to cut public expenditure further and to reform public services. It is vital that access to justice does not become a casualty of the government’s efforts to reduce the deficit and introduce reforms to the court service.

“The Bar Council supports the government commitment to modernise our Courts and Tribunals, for which £700m has been budgeted. We will continue to be constructively engaged in the court reform programme, which needs to be properly resourced and effectively managed.  

“We remain concerned about the on-going effects of cuts to legal aid and increases in court and tribunal fees, with the result that many people are unable in practice to access the justice system in order to vindicate their legal rights and duties. 

“We shall continue to press for measures to mitigate delays caused by the increase in litigants in person, to reduce delays in the courts, to  lessen the impact of enhanced court and tribunal fees, and to promote more effective ways of working which can be provided increasingly by IT in appropriate cases. 

“The Bar Council will take a close interest in the government’s proposals for a British Bill of Rights. This measure could have significant implications for our constitutional arrangements and fundamental rights. It is essential that any proposals for new legislation in this area do not derogate from the rights and freedoms we enjoy under existing law.”