House of Commons - The EU Bill and Parliamentary Sovereignty

European Scrutiny Committee - Tenth Report
The EU Bill and Parliamentary Sovereignty

Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 6 December 2010.

Contents

Terms of Reference

1 Introduction

2 The UK's legal relationship with the EU

European Communities Act 1972

A challenge to that legal relationship - the 'Metric Martyrs' case

3 Divergent opinion on the scope of Parliamentary sovereignty

What is meant by Parliamentary sovereignty?

An unsettled constitution

Acts of Parliament v the common law

The Jackson case

4 The sovereignty clause

The clause

Stated purpose

5 Evidence from expert witnesses

Is the doctrine of the legislative supremacy of Parliament under threat from EU law?

Can an Act of Parliament derogate from EU law by excluding the application of the ECA?

Clause 18

What it purports to do

What it does do

What it does not do

Parliament binding its successors?

6 Evaluation and conclusions

Is the doctrine of the legislative supremacy of Parliament under threat from EU law?

Can an Act of Parliament derogate from EU law by excluding the application of the ECA?

Clause 18

Explanatory Notes

Parliament binding its successors?

Appendix

Formal Minutes

Witnesses

List of written evidence