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14 January 2021 / Simon Parsons
Issue: 7916 / Categories: Features , Brexit , Constitutional law
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The rule of law—in transition?

35715
Simon Parsons reflects on the UK Internal Market Bill & attempts to exclude judicial review for errors of law
  • The UK Internal Market Bill.
  • Ouster clause: attempts to exclude judicial review for errors of law.
  • Errors of law: the courts have been willing to review errors of law but are only able to review errors of fact in limited circumstances.

The UK Internal Market Bill, Pt 5, if it had become law would have broken international law by giving ministers powers to make regulations in respect of Northern Ireland customs and state aid which would have been inconsistent with the UK’s commitments under Art 4 of the Withdrawal Agreement which states that the UK must, via primary legislation, fully implement that agreement in domestic law. In particular the regulations would have disapplied (in respect of the Northern Ireland (NI) Protocol) s 7A of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (inserted by legislation in 2020) which is the conduit by which the Withdrawal Agreement flows into domestic law. The fact

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach

Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach

Partner joins commercial property team in Taunton office

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Londstanding London firm appoints new senior partner

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Commercial team in London welcomes technology specialist as partner

NEWS
What safeguards apply when trust corporations are appointed as deputy by the Court of Protection? 
Disputing parties are expected to take part in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), where this is suitable for their case. At what point, however, does refusing to participate cross the threshold of ‘unreasonable’ and attract adverse costs consequences?
When it comes to free legal advice, demand massively outweighs supply. 'Millions of people are excluded from access to justice as they don’t have anywhere to turn for free advice—or don’t know that they can ask for help,' Bhavini Bhatt, development director at the Access to Justice Foundation, writes in this week's NLJ
When an ex-couple is deciding who gets what in the divorce or civil partnership dissolution, when is it appropriate for a third party to intervene? David Burrows, NLJ columnist and solicitor advocate, considers this thorny issue in this week’s NLJ
NLJ's latest Charities Appeals Supplement has been published in this week’s issue
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