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Human Rights: Rules and Theory

The role of Parliament in regulating rights

  • 3 things to know
  • Components 2 and 3

Overview

Parliamentary sovereignty, statement of compatibility and two statutes through which Parliament has conferred rights on individuals.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What does parliamentary sovereignty mean for the protection of rights?

Key term

Why is no Parliament able to bind its successors on rights?

Numbers

What is a statement of compatibility?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What does parliamentary sovereignty mean for the protection of rights?

    Model answer

    Parliamentary sovereignty means Parliament may make or unmake any law, including a law restricting rights. Courts may not set aside an Act of Parliament for incompatibility with a right. Regulation of rights therefore rests ultimately with the legislature.

  2. 2

    Why is no Parliament able to bind its successors on rights?

    Model answer

    Each Parliament holds the same legislative power as the one before it. A later Parliament may repeal any rights statute that an earlier Parliament passed.

  3. 3

    What is a statement of compatibility?

    Model answer

    A statement of compatibility is the minister's declaration that a Bill is compatible with Convention rights. Section 19 of the Human Rights Act 1998 requires the statement before the second reading.

  4. 4

    What may a minister do when a Bill cannot be declared compatible?

    Model answer

    The minister may instead state that the government wishes the House to proceed with the Bill anyway. Section 19 therefore forces the incompatibility into the open rather than preventing the Bill.

  5. 5

    Which parliamentary committee scrutinises legislation for its effect on rights?

    Model answer

    The Joint Committee on Human Rights examines Bills and reports on their compatibility with Convention rights. Members of the Committee are drawn from both Houses of Parliament.

  6. 6

    Name two statutes through which Parliament has conferred rights on individuals.

    Model answer

    The Equality Act 2010 confers protection against discrimination on a list of protected characteristics. The Data Protection Act 2018 confers rights over the use of personal information.

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Parliamentary and European Law Making
Delegated Legislation
Statutory Interpretation
Judicial Precedent

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The court sits in .
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A Public Bill changes the general law.
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