United Kingdom - September 2023

A report by the Electoral Commission has found that voter ID requirements introduced in April 2022 prevented 14,000 people from voting in the May 2023 local elections. Particularly high hurdles to voting are faced by voters with disabilities, unemployed voters, people belonging to low-income groups, and ethnic minority voters. The requirements can also disadvantage younger groups where, for instance, the approved forms of identification disproportionately include types of ID usually held by older generations. In practice, this will mean the disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of voters. Recommendations by the Electoral Commission include a review of the list of accepted IDs and the improvement of access to Voter Authority Certificates, an alternative form of identification. The government has indicated that it is considering expanding the list of accepted IDs.

Sources: Electoral Commission, International IDEA, Reuters, Guardian (1), Guardian (2)

On 18 September, the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act became law, offering conditional amnesty to those accused of killings in the Troubles. The Act prevents the opening of new Troubles-era inquests and court cases and establishes the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). Perpetrators who confess to the ICRIR can be granted immunity. While the Act has received support from groups like the Northern Ireland Veterans Movement, it is opposed by victim associations and Northern Irish political parties, who claim that it removes access to justice. The bill will face at least 11 legal challenges, overwhelmingly from relatives of Troubles victims. Further, the Council of Europe has urged for the repeal of the immunity provisions and the Irish Government may take legal action for breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights. More than 1,000 killings from the three decades-long Troubles remain unsolved, according to the Police Service.

Sources: UK Parliament, Financial Times, British Broadcasting Corporation (1), British Broadcasting Corporation (2), Northern Ireland Office and the Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Police Service of Northern Ireland

The Trades Union Congress (TUC), which represents the majority of trade unions in the United Kingdom, has lodged a complaint with the International Labour Organization (ILO) over the Strikes Act, calling it “unworkable, undemocratic and almost certainly in breach of international law”. The law received royal assent on 20 July and requires staff in key sectors such as education, rail and emergency services to ensure a minimum service level during strikes. In June, the ILO already requested changes to the bill to ensure conformity with international rules on Freedom of Association and Assembly. The TUC argues that subsequent revisions to the bill fell short of the ILO request. It will likely take many months for the Committee on Freedom of Association within the ILO to process the complaint. In the meantime, the constituent Trade Unions of the TUC have unanimously decided on a strategy of non-compliance in protest of the law.

Sources: International Labour Organization, UK Parliament, Trades Union Congress, The Independent, The Guardian (1), The Guardian (2), The Guardian (3)