18 Jul Business & Human Rights: Parliament Submission

Deighton Pierce Glynn have provided a submission to the Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Human Rights, calling for practical reforms to enhance accountability for corporate human rights violations.

The Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Human Rights is conducting an inquiry into human rights and business, examining the role that British businesses play in human rights violations and the UK government’s steps to control that conduct and provide victims with access to an effective remedy.

Deighton Pierce Glynn have provided a submission to the Committee emphasising the increasing role that businesses play in serious human rights violations and the growing accountability gap that is preventing victims from securing redress. We point to the many obstacles that can prevent victims from obtaining meaningful remedies from corporations involved in human rights abuses: the remoteness of supply chains; the ‘offshoring’ of subsidiary companies; the inequality of arms in litigating against big business; and the difficulties in obtaining transparent information from businesses. We call for significant reforms to overcome these.

We raise concerns about the UK government’s slow progress in making meaningful reforms in this area and draw attention to UK government activities that are positively undermining its commitment to advance accountability for business human rights violations, such as recent cuts to legal aid; anti-human rights rhetoric; prioritisation of trade promotion; and assistance to the arms trade.

You can access our submission here.

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