Brexit Bulletin—Lord Chancellor responds to queries on rule of law implications of the UK Internal Market Bill

Article summary

In correspondence published by the Constitution Committee, the Lord Chancellor has responded to a letter from Committee Chair, Baroness Taylor, flagging concerns regarding the legal and practical consequences of the government’s approach under the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill. The Bill has been strongly criticised on rule of law grounds and condemned by the EU as a breach of the Withdrawal Agreement. Responding to the letter, dated before the EU gave notice to the UK under the infringement procedure, the Lord Chancellor confirmed his commitment to respect for the rule of law as ‘an important constitutional principle’ for any responsible government. Reiterating the government’s position, the Lord Chancellor referred to the Prime Minister’s description of the UK’s approach under the Bill as an ‘insurance policy’ which need never be invoked if an agreement is reached between the UK and EU on key outstanding issues, including...