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NLJ this week: Why the Rwanda Act will be Sunak’s strangest legacy

31 May 2024
Issue: 8073 / Categories: Legal News , Constitutional law , Public , Immigration & asylum , Human rights
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The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 is likely to be a major part of Rishi Sunak’s legacy as prime minister should he, as is widely predicted, lose the general election in July, Professor Graham Zellick KC writes in this week’s NLJ

The reason, Zellick says, is ‘because this Act is unique’.

Zellick, a Senior Master of the Bench, writes: ‘This short Act—just 11 sections—is in itself an essay in British constitutional law. Indeed, one could build an entire introductory public law course around it.’ While, ‘in every respect, the Act violates constitutional norms’, it is also likely to be repealed before the first flight has taken off.

In this fascinating article, Zellick discusses the many curious facets of this extraordinary Act.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Firm strengthens employment team with partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London

NEWS
Tech companies will be legally required to prevent material that encourages or assists serious self-harm appearing on their platforms, under Online Safety Act 2023 regulations due to come into force in the autumn
Commercial leasehold, the defence of insanity and ‘consent’ in the criminal law are among the next tranche of projects for the Law Commission
The Bar has a culture of ‘impunity’ and ‘collusive bystanding’ in which making a complaint is deemed career-ending due to a ‘cohort of untouchables’ at the top, Baroness Harriet Harman KC has found
Lawyers have broadly welcomed plans to electronically tag up to 22,000 more offenders, scrap most prison terms below a year and make prisoners ‘earn’ early release
David Lammy, Ellie Reeves and Baroness Levitt have taken up office at the Ministry of Justice, following the cabinet reshuffle
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