University News Last updated 02 July
Leading law academics from Birmingham City University (BCU) have provided expert evidence to the UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights, highlighting how parliamentarians can better xcrutinise legislation and hold the government accountable.
Professor Jon Yorke (Professor of Human Rights), Dr Alice Storey (Associate Professor of Human Rights), and Dr Michael Lane (Lecturer in Law at the University of Worcester) were invited to Parliament on Wednesday 25 June to share their insights on the UK’s engagement with the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
The UPR is a peer-review mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council that assesses the human rights records of all UN member states.
During the session, the BCU team presented their research and recommendations to members of the Committee, including Baroness Doreen Lawrence, a prominent human rights advocate and mother of Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in a racist attack in 1993.
Since 2019, BCU has submitted more than 50 reports to the UPR process, covering countries such as the UK, Papua New Guinea, Namibia, Eswatini, South Africa, Pakistan, The Gambia, and Lesotho.
Dr Storey said: “It was great to see members of the Committee so engaged in the session and asking lots of questions. I was especially pleased to have the opportunity to share the findings of my research into violence against women and girls in the UK.
“The Committee was particularly receptive to my suggestion that the government should be doing more to protect migrant women from domestic abuse, asking me to follow up with them about this to inform their ongoing inquiry into the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill."
Professor Yorke added: “The Committee is to be commended for providing an opportunity to discuss the importance of the UPR for the work of the UK Parliament. This UN mechanism is evolving to confront the world's human rights challenges.
“It was clear from the Committee that our parliament wants to be at the forefront in helping safeguard rights in our country, and to help ensure that human rights are protected around the world. In both endeavours, there are still challenges for us to overcome.”