The Identity Documents Act 2010 was given Royal assent. The Act abolished identity cards and the national identity register, and repealed the Identity Cards Act 2006.
Source: Identity Documents Act 2010, Home Office/TSO
Links: Text of Act | Explanatory notes | Home Office press release | Liberal Democrats press release | NO2ID press release
Date: 2010-Dec
The government announced how it intended to implement the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (made in 2005) in relation to prisoner voting rights. The government would bring forward legislation providing that the blanket ban in the existing law would be replaced. Offenders sentenced to a custodial sentence of four years or more would continue to be deprived of the right to vote in all circumstances. Offenders sentenced to a custodial sentence of less than four years would be given the right to vote: but the sentencing judge would have powers to remove that right if they considered it appropriate. The right to vote would be restricted to United Kingdom parliamentary and European parliamentary elections, and not other elections or referendums.
Source: Written Ministerial Statement 20 December 2010, columns 150-151WS, House of Commons Hansard/TSO
Links: Hansard | Cabinet Office press release | Labour Party press release | PRT press release | Telegraph report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Dec
A paper examined the commitments relevant to civil liberties made by the coalition government in its programme for government, and set out the considerations that should underlie any bill of rights that might replace or supplement the Human Rights Act.
Source: Civil Liberties, the Constitution and Cuts: Engaging with the Coalition, JUSTICE
Links: Paper
Date: 2010-Oct
The Identity Documents Bill was given a third reading. The Bill was designed to abolish the identity cards scheme and the National Identity Register.
Source: Identity Documents Bill, Home Office/TSO | Debate 15 September 2010, columns 913-970, House of Commons Hansard/TSO
Links: Hansard | Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | HOC research brief
Date: 2010-Sep
The new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government announced (in the Queen's Speech) plans for:
A Freedom (Great Repeal) Bill, designed to extend the scope of the Freedom of Information Act, reform the libel laws, repeal 'unnecessary' criminal offences, and introduce safeguards against the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation.
An Identity Documents Bill, designed to scrap the identity card scheme.
Source: Queen's Speech, 25 May 2010
Links: Text of Speech | HGC press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Telegraph report
Date: 2010-May
The Identity Documents Bill was published. The Bill was designed to abolish the identity cards scheme and the National Identity Register.
Source: Identity Documents Bill, Home Office/TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Home Office press release | Liberal Democrats press release | NO2ID press release | TUC press release
Date: 2010-May
The government responded to a report by a joint committee of MPs and peers on the policing of protests.
Source: Demonstrating Respect for Rights? Follow Up: Government Response to the Committee's Twenty-second Report of Session 2008-09, Sixth Report (Session 2009-10), HL 45 and HC 328, Joint Select Committee on Human Rights/TSO
Date: 2010-Feb
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that random stop-and-search powers under section 44 of the Terrorism Act were far too widely drawn and lacked adequate parliamentary and legal safeguards against abuse.
Source: Gillan and Quinton v The United Kingdom, European Court of Human Rights
Links: Text of judgement | Index on Censorship press release | ACPO press release | Guardian report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Jan