header-logo header-logo

The EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill (No 2) (Pt 2)

24 January 2020 / Michael Zander KC
Issue: 7871 / Categories: Features
printer mail-detail
14747
Michael Zander on the final stages
  • Despite inflicting five defeats in the House of Lords, the Opposition accepted that the Government would overturn all the amendments and that they would have to accept it.
  • Royal Assent would be given in time for the Withdrawal Agreement to be considered by the European Parliament.

Until the Report stage in the House of Lords last Monday (January 20) the Government still hoped that its European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill would come back to the Commons unamended. But in the end the Lords decided there were issues on which they had to make a stand.

The Government does not command a majority in the Lords and the word had gone out from Ministers that amendments would not be welcomed. During the three days of the Committee stage in the Lords (14, 15,16 January) not a single amendment was put to a vote. Each proposer ran their proposition up the hill but then bottled and withdrew the amendment.

One reason

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

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
back-to-top-scroll