Academics to give evidence on UK – Overseas Territories Joint Declaration

Tomorrow the House of Lords Constitution Committee will be holding its first evidence session for its new inquiry into the Review of the UK – Overseas Territories Joint Declaration. 

This new short inquiry will review progress against the commitments set out in the 2023 UK – Overseas Territories Joint Declaration. The Committee's work will focus on the mechanisms for engagement between the UK and the Overseas Territories and to what extent they are effective. 

The session will take place on Wednesday 3 December 2025 at 10:30am and can be followed live on Parliament TV. 

Giving evidence will be: 

• Professor Peter Clegg, Professor in Politics and International Relations at the University of the West of England 

• Dr Derek O'Brien, Associate Professor in Law at Oxford Brookes University 

Themes the session is likely to cover include: 

• The constitutional relationship between the UK and Overseas Territories 

• Engagement mechanisms with the Overseas Territories on policy and legislation 

• Impact of the 2023 joint declaration agreed by the UK Government and Overseas Territories 

• Examples of engagement between the UK Government and Overseas Territories