Evidence

The Independent Reviewer gives evidence, almost invariably in public, to a variety of UK parliamentary committees. I consider this a very important way of informing the policy and political debate on counter-terrorism and civil liberties, second only to the preparation of my reports.

Written evidence and transcripts of oral evidence are available below: they are normally posted on the site of the relevant committee. Oral evidence is also streamed live and can be viewed later through the parliamentlive.tv website.

I have also given evidence (in London) to Canada’s Security and Intelligence Review Committee, to Norway’s 22 July Commission, to Germany’s G10 Committee and to Australia’s Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. Transcripts or minutes of such evidence (to the extent they may exist) are not available here.

“Select Bibliography of Terrorism Resources”, House of Commons Library Standard Note SN05866 of 29 April 2013, has links to a wealth of Select Committee and Government material on counter-terrorism law.

A House of Commons Public Bill Committee has been set up in order to give detailed scrutiny to the Investigatory Powers Bill that was unveiled on 1 March 2016 and given its second reading on 15 March. A good deal of written evidence to that committee was published last week.

I was the first witness to be examined by the Public Bill Committee, on 24 March 2016. A transcript of my 25-minute evidence has been published on the Committee’s website, and most of it is captured on video.

Later on 24 March, I submitted written evidence to the Public Bill Committee in order to expand upon some of the points touched on in my oral evidence and to raise some new points. That written evidence is published here for the first time. Read more…

Between November 2015 and February 2016 three parliamentary committees, comprising 25 MPs and 9 members of the House of Lords, scrutinised the draft Investigatory Powers Bill, which was based in part on my Report, A Question of Trust.

The main scrutiny was given by the Joint Committee on the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill, whose 14 members were drawn from both Houses of Parliament. Read more…

I gave evidence on 9 March 2016, alongside my predecessor Lord Carlile, at the request of the parliamentary Joint Committee of Human Rights to its new enquiry into the Government’s Counter-Extremism Strategy. You can watch the video here, and read the transcript here. Read more…

I have submitted evidence three times to the Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry into countering extremism. Read more…

I gave evidence before the Committee on 2 December 2014 on the effect of anti-terrorism laws on charities.

A video of my evidence (starting at 44 minutes in) is here.

A transcript is here: see QQ 180-196.

My evidence on the Bill

For the second time in a week, I gave evidence to a parliamentary committee on the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill. The Bill, fast-tracked as is often the fate of counter-terrorism legislation, completed its second reading in the House of Commons yesterday. Subjects covered include TPIMs, temporary exclusion orders, passport removal and the value (if any) of the Independent Reviewer. Read more…

I gave evidence to the JCHR on the new Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill on 26 November, the morning of its introduction. The Bill was given its first reading in the House of Commons shortly after my evidence finished: the timing was unfortunate, since protocol dictated that (though I had seen the Bill in draft) I was unable to refer to its specific terms. Read more…

The JCHR asked me along this morning, with Ben Emmerson QC, to answer some wide-ranging questions on counter-terrorism and human rights. Originally planned as a private session to inform the JCHR’s future work programme, this evolved into a public hearing. Read more…

The draft Modern Slavery Bill makes provision for an Anti-Slavery Commissioner. Read more…

In early 2014 I was invited to give evidence in writing (once) and orally (twice) to the European Scrutiny Committee of the House of Commons, on the status of the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights in UK law and its development by the Court of Justice of the EU. Read more…

Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation

Evidence

IP Bill, Public Bill Committee: 2016

Draft IP Bill, Joint Committee, 2015-2016

JCHR: Counter-Extremism Strategy, 2016

Draft Protection of Charities Bill Joint Committee, 2014

HASC: Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill, 2014

JCHR: Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill, 2014

JCHR session, 2014

Joint Committee on Draft Modern Slavery Bill, 2014

European Scrutiny Committee: EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, 2014