Joint Committee on Human Rights

This is a procedural motion to establish or reconstitute the Joint Committee on Human Rights, a cross-party body comprising MPs and peers that scrutinises the government's compliance with human rights law and the European Convention on Human Rights. Jessica Morden, a Labour MP, is sponsoring the motion on behalf of the Committee of Selection. The motion formalises the committee's membership and terms of reference for the new parliamentary session.

The Joint Committee on Human Rights is a key institutional check on executive power, with particular importance given Labour's constitutional reform agenda and pledges around civil liberties. The committee investigates potential breaches of human rights law, issues reports on bills in progress, and holds departments to account. Its composition and reactivation signal the Commons' commitment to human rights oversight, though as a procedural matter this motion itself makes no new policy and affects few voters directly.