Blog
Government announces Lasting Power of Attorney “revamp”
Lucy Bluck
22 December 2020
The UK assumes responsibility for its sanctions policy
Deal or no deal, when the UK’s transition agreement expires at 11pm on 31 December 2020 the country will no longer participate in EU sanctions arrangements or otherwise give effect to EU sanctions regimes. Instead, it will operate a two tier system, devising its own sanctions policies and measures which will be supplemented by sanctions measures imposed as a result of United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
28 October 2020
Extradition (Provisional Arrest) Act 2020 – Bill receives Royal Assent
The Extradition (Provisional Arrest) Bill received Royal Assent on 22 October 2020. See here for previous blogs charting its passage: Extradition (Provisional) Arrest Bill: a sticking plaster & Extradition (Provisional) Arrest Bill: Second Reading.
22 July 2020
The UK reacts to China’s increased pressure on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and its overall human rights record
On Monday 20 July 2020 the UK suspended it's extradition treaty with its former colony Hong Kong, citing the imposition of controversial new security laws on the territory by China. The new law is seen to have changed the very foundation of the agreement between the two states and the treaty has been suspended "immediately and indefinitely". No consideration will be given to reactivating the treaty unless and until there are clear and robust safeguards preventing the misuse of extradition from the UK.
15 July 2020
Extradition (Provisional) Arrest Bill: Second Reading
On 22 June 2020 the Extradition (Provisional Arrest) Bill (the Bill) had its second reading in the House of Commons. The contents of the Bill relate to a gap within the current extradition process and are designed to allow police officers, customs officers or service police officers to arrest suspects without a warrant where they are wanted for serious offences in certain trusted countries (currently designated as Australia, Canada, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United States of America).
19 June 2020
On its way: The UK-US Bilateral Data Access Agreement
Over four years of negotiations later and the UK-US Bilateral Data Access Agreement (the Agreement) is expected to come into effect next month. The Agreement will enable law enforcement authorities on both sides of the Atlantic to obtain electronic data directly from communication service providers (CSPs) in the other country for the purposes of criminal investigations and prosecutions for serious crime.
