The Universal Periodic Review and the UK: State Practice and Constitutional Actors - Paperback

by Michael Lane (Author)

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

Foreword by Gianni Magazzeni, former Senior UN/OHCHR Official and UPR Chief at the United Nations.

This book analyses the impact of the United Nations' Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process through a case study of the UK. It advances a dual-perspective assessment of the UPR: the 'external' perspective, which focuses on a state's practice at the UPR, and the 'internal' perspective, which examines the influence of the UPR on the executive, legislature and judiciary.

The author introduces a new framework for assessing state participation, drawing on Kathryn Sikkink's 'Evidence for Hope' to advance the methodological rigour of UPR research. The UK context explored in the book highlights the influence of domestic politics, institutional capacity and accountability processes, with implications for Westminster systems worldwide. It is crucial reading for scholars, policy makers and practitioners of international human rights law.

Author Biography

Michael Lane is a Lecturer in Law at the University of Worcester, UK. His research concerns the relationship between international human rights law and institutions and domestic legal systems. He is particularly interested in the United Nations' human rights mechanisms. His research has been published widely, and he regularly contributes written reports to United Nations bodies and parliamentary inquiries. He is also actively involved in consultancy and capacity building with individuals and organisations to help them engage with the international human rights mechanisms.