Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee

24 June 2026

Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee Actual start House of Lords

16:31 - 18:16
Speaker 1
Good morning and welcome to this public meeting of the Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee.  We're today holding our third public evidence session of our inquiry into Article 2 of the Protocol/Windsor Framework, the so-called diminution of rights provision.  We are joined today by Professor Christopher McCrudden CBE. 

He is Emeritus Professor of Equality and Human Rights Law at Queen's University Belfast and also a member of Blackstone Chambers, a very distinguished chambers in London.  We are expecting to be joined shortly by Samuel Willis, who's a very distinguished but junior barrister at 11 King's Bench Walk, 11KBW Barristers' Chambers, another very distinguished set of chambers.  And they will both be very welcome.  You already, Professor McCrudden, are, and we very much look forward to their evidence.  We would say, Professor, that we would like you to introduce yourself briefly the first time you speak and declare any relevant interests in relation to the inquiry. 

Today's meeting is being broadcast and a verbatim transcript will be taken for subsequent publication. 

It will be sent to you to check for accuracy.  I refer to the register of members' interests as published on the committee's website.  So I'm going to start now, Professor McCrudden.  I don't know quite what's happened to your colleague who we're expecting to be with us, but we'll introduce him when he turns up.  I'm going to start the session by asking the first question. 

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