Model Legislation and Private Member's Bill in the House of Lords
Image of Baroness Young. Credit: Jenny Smith (Jenny Smith Photography).
Submitted under the name ‘the Commercial Organisations and Public Authorities Duties (Human Rights and Environment) Bill’ (COPAD), Baroness Young’s Bill follows CJC’s model law proposal and updates Baroness Young’s original Private Members Bill first submitted to Parliament in 2023.
Strong cross-party consensus that the UK is falling behind was found in the Westminster Hall Debate on ‘Human Rights in Supply Chains’. The EU, US, France and others have moved to mandatory due diligence while the UK is still reviewing. The Joint Committee on Human Rights recommended new legislation within one year of its report. That deadline falls in July 2026.
Baroness Young said:
“The COPAD Private Members Bill (Commercial Organisations and Public Authorities Duty to Prevent Human Rights Abuses and Environmental Harms in value chains) is now up and running! We hope that this crucial Bill will have an in-depth hearing on its Second Reading in the House of Lords and stir up some debate, and more importantly, government action.
“This proposed legislation brings together businesses, trades unions, activists, people with lived experience and parliamentarians in support of a comprehensive, robust due diligence law. It would replace and improve on the Transparency in Supply Chains section of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (Section 54, TISC, MSA). Most acknowledge Section 54 was a game changing piece of legislation, but now needs a rethink.
“COPAD would help prevent the UK being seen as a ‘dumping ground’ for goods produced under abusive, exploitative and environmentally harmful conditions, by aligning UK law with similar legislation in other countries.
“We hope that all those in the garment industry who have campaigned tirelessly for decades for human rights and environmental justice in supply chains will support this proposed legislation.”
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