Britain officially left the European Union (EU) on 31 January 2020. Now, under the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill, the UK has launched into a year-long transition period. During this time, it is to deliberate on trade, travel and business agreements. With barely 8 months left, EU officials have said that the possibility of agreeing a…

The UK high street has been on a constant decline for the last few years. An age of crippling austerity measures, rising rent and the transition to online shopping has seen the closure of many independent retailers and big name brands. The number of shoppers visiting outlets has dropped by over 10% in the last…

As the UK battles against its “most challenging crisis” since WWII, Ministers have been working behind the scenes to make amendments to the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPAct). The act, better known as the Snooper’s Charter, has been found to break human rights laws twice. Yet, draft legislation currently seeks to expand the scope of…

As COVID-19 cases surge to over 130,000 UK-wide, many argue that the government has not done enough to minimise the spread of the virus. The government’s treatment of the virus has been described as a ‘national scandal’ by Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief of the Lancet medical journal, while others point to the penal system as an…

On 25 March 2020, The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill reached its first reading in the House of Commons. The bill seeks to modernise divorce procedures in England and Wales, and will see significant changes made to divorce laws for the first time in 50 years. Subsequently many welcome changes to what are seen as…

As the fight to contain the spread of COVID-19 continues, many say that the government is battling against two fronts: the pandemic and an infodemic. While tensions rise, citizens desperately seek answers to their COVID-19 questions. Government officials have subsequently raised concerns about the spread of misinformation. Others have raised fears that this is “as…

As the UK faces its fourth week in lockdown with no exit in sight, the country is now being confronted with unprecedented economic devastation across every industry UK-wide. Many businesses are suffering cash flow problems and thousands have furloughed their staff. This has been made possible through the introduction of the Job Retention Scheme (JRS)…

On 20 March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, the UK Government enacted its decision to close schools across the country. A total of 25,000 schools were affected, with some 8 million children forced to work remotely, with the exception of key worker’s children. This has caused a seismic shift in the way the…

In Scotland, a rape complainant’s sexual history can still be used against them in a rape trial. Time and time again, courts have warned defence lawyers and judges against using this kind of cross-examination, however it continues. Rape Crisis Scotland has said that this is a significant factor deterring women from reporting rape and other…

In the name of combating the spread of COVID-19, the UK government has extended its emergency powers with the introduction of the Coronavirus Act 2020. Through this it has been able to clamp down on civil liberties and human rights. Proposed next steps involve enhanced mass surveillance. Already this week, the government was given the…