Subjects:

Constitutional and Administrative Law

This is a selection of Lord Irvine's major lectures and articles since 1995. It surveys the constitutional revolution that has taken place in Britain since the Labour Government came to power in 1997, taking in devolution and House of Lords reform, but with a particular focus on human rights. The evolution of a new human rights culture is traced, from the policy underlying the Human Rights Act 1998, through the scheme of the legislation and the preparations for implementation, to an analysis of the impact of the Act during its first two years. The work is of particular interest because Lord Irvine chaired the four main Cabinet Committees on constitutional change and introduced the Human Rights Bill to Parliament.