House of Lords

This author's articles

• Al-Jedda Case: UK House of Lords unanimously dismiss the action

  14 January 2008
  The Lords of Appeal dismiss the appeal brought by a national of both Iraqi and British citizenship who had been detained by UK forces in Iraq in October 2004. Among others, Al-Jedda claimed that his detention violated his right to liberty as provided by the ECHR. The decision involves a high number of important, yet very contentious issues of international human rights protection.

• Highly Skilled Migrants: Changes to the Immigration Rules

  5 September 2007
  In addition to its scrutiny of human rights implications of Government Bills, the Committee reports on other legislative measures raising significant human rights issues such as the Changes in Immigration Rules introduced in 2006.

• European Arrest Warrant - Recent Developments

  18 December 2006
  The EAW has a key role to play in the fight against terrorism and in bringing those accused of serious crime to justice. This Report draws to the attention of the House two recent developments relating to the EAW

• Behind Closed Doors: the meeting of the G6 Interior Ministers at Heiligendamm

  20 September 2006
  Home Office Ministers hold regular meetings with the ministers of the interior of the other five largest EU States: Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Poland. At the last such meeting in Heiligendamm in March 2006 the G6 ministers discussed their joint response to terrorism, illegal immigration and organised crime. The United Kingdom was represented by the then Home Secretary.

• House of Lords ruling on the Belmarsh detainees 16 Dec 2004

  30 May 2006
  The judgment in which the highest court in the UK, the law lords, declare by a majority of 8-1 the indefinite detention of foreign ’terrorist suspects’ incompatible with the Human Rights Act and hence the European Convention on Human Rights. Lord Bingham said the rules were incompatible as they allowed detentions «in a way that discriminates on the ground of nationality or immigration status» by justifying detention without trial for foreign suspects but not British citizens.

• Fighting illegal immigration : should carriers carry the burden ?

  12 November 2004
  The proposal to require carriers to transmit passenger data to immigration authorities in advance of travel has not been thought through properly and should not be approved in its present form. It is open to substantial objections : Its effectiveness as a tool to combat organised crime or national security threats has not been substantiated ; The duties it would impose on carriers are disproportionate to the aim of combating illegal immigration ; It would cause serious delays to passengers and require substantial expenditure by carriers ; It is unacceptable that no estimate of costs has been made ; It makes no provision for remedies for passengers wrongly denied boarding. Requiring carriers to notify immigration authorities of the non-use of return tickets is also excessive, and likely to be ineffective.