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UK House of Commons committee to consider draft UPC legislation next week

22.11.2017

Following our recent report on the final steps required to pass the two remaining pieces of draft legislation which will enable the UK to ratify the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Agreement,  the UK Parliament has published here that the House of Commons’ Sixth Delegated Legislation Committee will debate The Unified Patent Court (Immunities and Privileges) Order 2017 next Wednesday, 29 November 2017 at 2.30 pm.  Although any MP may attend and speak at a Delegated Legislation Committee meeting, only the Committee members are entitled to vote.  If the Committee decide that the draft Order be approved, a motion to approve it will be put “forthwith” (i.e. without debate) on the floor of the House of Commons for formal agreement.  The draft Order must also be approved by the House of Lords and the date for the debate there (in either the Grand Committee or on the floor of the House) is expected to be published shortly (the procedure in the two Houses for such draft legislation usually running in parallel).  Following approval by both Houses, the draft Order must be formally approved by the Privy Council, as must the other remaining piece of draft legislation, i.e. the International Organisations (Immunities and Privileges) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Order 2017, which has already been approved by the Scottish Parliament.

Robert Burrows

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