Skip links


House of Lords vote for anti-genocide amendments

February 3rd, 2021

On Tuesday evening, peers voted in favour of two amendments to the Trade Bill to strengthen the UK’s approach to preventing genocide, defeating the Government. Humanists UK, which briefed All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG) peers in support of these amendments ahead of these votes, has welcomed their inclusion in the Bill.  The Trade Bill will now be returned to the House of Commons to be considered by MPs.

The first of these amendments

will require Government ministers to determine whether another signatory to a new trade agreement has committed crimes against humanity before the agreement can be laid before Parliament for ratification. Then publish that determination at the same time as requesting Parliament to ratify the agreement.

The second amendment

will allow the High Court or Court of Session in Scotland to make a preliminary determination that another signatory to a bilateral trade agreement with the UK has committed genocide. Where such a determination is reached, the Government must set out its course of action with respect to the agreement.  Then that course of action must be debated in Parliament.

The first amendment was moved by APPHG member Lord Collins of Highbury.  The second was moved by Lord Alton. In his speech, Lord Alton commented on the broad range of support his amendment received, noting it ‘has received important support from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Chief Rabbi, the Muslim Council of Great Britain, Humanists UK, Anglican and Catholic bishops, the Bar Council, the International Bar Association and a range of human rights organisations.’ APPHG member Lord Stevenson of Balmacara was also among those speaking in support.

In December, the House of Lords first voted in favour of an amendment to give the courts a role in determining genocide by a majority of 126. This was subsequently removed from the Trade Bill by a narrow margin vote in the House of Commons. It is hoped that these new amendments will now be supported by MPs.