Select Committee · Constitution Committee
Rule of Law
Status: Closed
Opened: 11 Mar 2025
Closed: 9 Jul 2026
2 reports
This inquiry is seeking to understand the rule of law as a constitutional principle and practical matter, and what the state of the rule of law is in the UK. The Committee will consider the different understandings of the rule of law, both at home and internationally, and explore how the principle works in practice … Show more
Reports
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter from David Lammy MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Lord … | — | 23 Feb 2026 | 0 | — |
| 13th Report - The rule of law: holding the line against tyr… | — | 20 Nov 2025 | 0 | Responded |
Oral evidence sessions
| Date | Witnesses | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Sep 2025 | The Rt Hon. the Lord Hermer KC · Attorney General's Office | View ↗ |
| 3 Sep 2025 | Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood KC MP · UK Government | View ↗ |
| 16 Jul 2025 | Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Vos · Judiciary of England and Wales | View ↗ |
| 2 Jul 2025 | Anne Applebaum · The Atlantic, Mark Lewis · World Justice Project, Mick Antoniw MS · Welsh Government | View ↗ |
| 25 Jun 2025 | Chris Nelson · Gloucestershire Constabulary, Serena Kennedy · Merseyside Police | View ↗ |
| 18 Jun 2025 | James Wolffe KC, John Larkin KC | View ↗ |
| 11 Jun 2025 | Ashley Hodges · Young Citizens, Daniel Scrase · BPP University Social Impact Team | View ↗ |
| 21 May 2025 | Frances Gibb · The Times, Joshua Rozenberg · Legal commentator | View ↗ |
| 14 May 2025 | Kate Pasfield · Legal Aid Practitioners Group, Mr Nimrod Ben-Cnaan · Law Centres Network, Sarah Matthews · Citizens Advice Bureau | View ↗ |
| 7 May 2025 | Shameem Ahmad · Public Law Project, Stephanie Needleman · JUSTICE | View ↗ |
| 23 Apr 2025 | Dr. Ronan Cormacain · (self-employed), Dr Ruth Fox · Hansard Society, Sir Stephen Laws KC · Policy Exchange | View ↗ |
| 2 Apr 2025 | Lord Sumption · The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, The Rt Hon. the Baroness Hale of Richmond DBE | View ↗ |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Dr Jan van Zyl Smit · Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, Professor Adam Tomkins · University of Glasgow, Professor Jeff King · University College London (UCL) | View ↗ |
Who gave evidence
| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Anne Applebaum · Journalist, Writer and Historian | The Atlantic | 1 |
| Ashley Hodges · Chief Executive | Young Citizens | 1 |
| Chris Nelson · Police and Crime Commissioner | Gloucestershire Constabulary | 1 |
| Daniel Scrase · Trainee Solicitor | BPP University Social Impact Team | 1 |
| Dr Ruth Fox · Director | Hansard Society | 1 |
| Dr Jan van Zyl Smit · Director | Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law | 1 |
| Dr. Ronan Cormacain | (self-employed) | 1 |
| Frances Gibb · Former Legal Editor | The Times | 1 |
| James Wolffe KC | — | 1 |
| John Larkin KC | — | 1 |
| Joshua Rozenberg · Independent | Legal commentator | 1 |
| Kate Pasfield · Director of Legal Aid | Legal Aid Practitioners Group | 1 |
| Lord Sumption | The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom | 1 |
| Mark Lewis · Chief of Public Sector Partnerships | World Justice Project | 1 |
| Mick Antoniw MS · Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution | Welsh Government | 1 |
| Mr Nimrod Ben-Cnaan · Head of Policy and Profile | Law Centres Network | 1 |
| Professor Adam Tomkins · John Millar Professor of Public Law | University of Glasgow | 1 |
| Professor Jeff King · Professor of Law | University College London (UCL) | 1 |
| Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood KC MP · Lord Chancellor and Minister for Justice | UK Government | 1 |
| Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Vos · Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice | Judiciary of England and Wales | 1 |
| Sarah Matthews · Senior Strategic Lead | Citizens Advice Bureau | 1 |
| Serena Kennedy · Chief Constable | Merseyside Police | 1 |
| Shameem Ahmad · CEO | Public Law Project | 1 |
| Sir Stephen Laws KC · Senior Fellow | Policy Exchange | 1 |
| Stephanie Needleman · Legal Director | JUSTICE | 1 |
| The Rt Hon. the Baroness Hale of Richmond DBE | — | 1 |
| The Rt Hon. the Lord Hermer KC · Attorney General for England and Wales | Attorney General's Office | 1 |
Meetings & visits
| Date | Type | Detail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Oct 2025 | Formal meeting (private meeting) | Formal Meeting (Private Meeting) · Room 1, Palace of Westminster | |
| 23 Jul 2025 | Formal meeting (private meeting) | Formal Meeting (Private Meeting) · Room 3, Palace of Westminster | |
| 15 Jul 2025 | Formal meeting (private meeting) | Formal Meeting (Private Meeting) · Room 1-06, Millbank House | |
| 9 Jul 2025 | Formal meeting (private meeting) | Private Meeting · Room 1-02, Millbank House | |
| 30 Apr 2025 | Formal meeting (private meeting) | Formal meeting (private meeting) · Room 4, Palace of Westminster |