The UK is a dualist state, meaning that, in order for obligations entered into through treaties to have effect in UK law, domestic implementation is required. This is an important feature of the UK’s constitutional system, ensuring that any changes to domestic law needed to implement treaties must be considered by Parliament. While treaties bind the UK as a matter of international law, they do not automatically have effect as a matter of domestic law. Often, provisions do not require new prim...

The UK is a dualist state, meaning that, in order for obligations entered into through treaties to have effect in UK law, domestic implementation is required. This is an important feature of the UK’s constitutional system, ensuring that any changes to domestic law needed to implement treaties must be considered by Parliament. While treaties bind the UK as a matter of international law, they do not automatically have effect as a matter of domestic law. Often, provisions do not require new primary legislation to have effect in domestic law; delegated powers to make secondary legislation may be used, or only parts of agreements are presented to Type: conclusion | Number: 3 | Paragraph: 22 | Response status: accepted Government response: Partially agree. The Government agrees that Parliament has two separate and distinct functions in relation to treaties: first, an opportunity to scrutinise and resolve against ratification of treaties; and second, the scrutiny of any legislation necessar