Which draft laws were dropped because of parliament’s suspension?

Boris Johnson’s unprecedented decision to suspend parliament earlier this month was widely condemned, with critics accusing him of behaving like a dictator and riding roughshod over the constitution. The move deprived MPs of crucial opportunities to debate Brexit, with just weeks left before Britain is due to leave the EU. But the decision to prorogue parliament had another major consequence, which has received less attention.

The abrupt ending of the parliamentary session, which had lasted since 2017, meant legislation that was on its way through parliament had to be dropped. While there is a mechanism to carry over draft bills to the next session, most laws in front of parliament were dropped and will therefore need to be reintroduced once the new sitting starts in October – if, of course, ministers choose to do so.

In total, there were 14 bills that had not completed their passage through the Commons and the Lords before parliament was prorogued. According to the House of Commons Library, two of these were carried over by the government, leaving 12 that were dropped. These were related to issues including:

Brexit

Five key Brexit bills were not carried over, meaning they will likely need to be reintroduced swiftly and rushed through parliament before Britain leaves the EU. Among them was the Trade Bill, which is seen as crucial to enabling the UK to strike new trade deals once it leaves the EU. It also would have established a Trade Remedies Authority.

Another, the Fisheries Bill, would have established a system for regulating fishing after the UK exits the Common Fisheries Policy. The other three bills related to the UK’s departure from the EU covered agriculture, immigration and financial services after Brexit. There are fears that there could be chaos in these areas if the new legislation is not in place on the day that the UK leaves the EU.

Domestic abuse

Perhaps most controversially, the prime minister’s suspension of parliament meant plans to introduce a legal definition of domestic abuse were dropped – temporarily at least. The bill, which had cross-party backing, was designed to make it easier for people to understand what constituted domestic abuse.

After a backlash from MPs, charities and campaigners over the potential consequences of the bill being dropped, Johnson tweeted to say that domestic violence legislation would be reintroduced when parliament resumes. He wrote: “Domestic abuse shatters lives and tears families apart. We are fully committed to tackling this horrific crime – which is why the Queen’s Speech will confirm we will be reintroducing domestic abuse legislation in the next session.”

Divorce

The bill to reform divorce laws would have allowed couples who separate to start divorce proceedings immediately. Currently, they must wait up to five years to do so if neither party is deemed to be at fault for the separation. The move to make no-fault divorces easier was seen as long overdue and ministers will come under pressure to reintroduce the legislation.

Animal cruelty

This bill would have increased the punishments for people found guilty of animal cruelty. Under the proposed legislation, the maximum penalty for animal cruelty would have increased from six months to five years. It would have brought the penalties in England and Wales in line with those already in place in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Public toilets

The Non-Domestic Rating Public Lavatories Bill sought to increase the number of public toilets by scrapping business rates on companies that provide them. Supporters said this would make them cheaper to run and reduce the prospect of more being closed in future.

Census

A draft law had been introduced to add two questions to the next census, due in 2021, relating to sexuality and gender orientation. The move had been welcomed by LGBT+ rights charities including Stonewall.