Parliamentary Scrutiny of Rights in the United Kingdom: Assessing the Work of the Joint Committee on Human Rights

Abstract

This article examines the work of the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) and assesses its effectiveness in safeguarding fundamental rights in the United Kingdom. In 2001, Parliament created the JCHR to scrutinize legislation for compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998 and the UK's international human rights commitments. Data on the impact of JCHR reports on the work of Parliament and courts are collected and used to evaluate the efficacy of parliamentary scrutiny committees devoted to human rights. Is the use of a human rights scrutiny committee an effective mechanism of rights review? Since the success of the ‘Commonwealth model of constitutionalism’ ultimately depends on the effectiveness of parliaments in safeguarding rights, the extent to which the JCHR's work influences the drafting of proposed bills; contributes to more informed parliamentary debate; and, ultimately, prevents bills with rights problems from becoming law, is likely to interest scholars and reformers alike.