How should the Great Repeal Bill be drafted and scrutinised? Lords to ask legal experts

The House of Lords Constitution Committee will this week take evidence from legal experts on the Government’s ‘Great Repeal Bill’, including how Parliament can reduce the risks associated with the expected wide-ranging use of Henry VIII powers and what might be the impact of repatriated powers on the devolution settlements. 

The Committee will take evidence from 11:15am on Wednesday 1 February in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords. Giving evidence to the Committee will be: 

·    Professor John Bell, Cambridge University

·    Professor Paul Craig, University of Oxford

·    Professor Alison Young, University of Oxford

Questions the Committee will put to the witnesses include: 

·    What are likely to be the main challenges faced by the Government is repealing the European Communities Act 1972 (ECA)? 

·    What will be the challenges faced by Parliament when scrutinising the ‘Great Repeal Bill’? 

·    Will it be possible for the ‘Great Repeal Bill’ to separate out areas of EU law that can easily be transferred into UK law, and those which will require amendment and modification? 

·    How can Parliament reduce the constitutional risks that will arise if the Government seeks wide-ranging Henry VIII powers to convert EU law into UK law?

·    What challenges will the Government and Parliament face in relation to the devolution settlement when repealing the ECA and incorporating EU law in the UK?

·    Are there likely to be repatriated powers that automatically fall within the competence of the devolved administrations? Is there likely to confusion about this? 

·    How can the devolved institutions be engaged in the process of converting EU law into domestic law?