Government bodies

European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law

The European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL) is an informal network of environmental authorities from the EU Member States and candidate countries, plus Norway. Set up in 1992, IMPEL aims to promote more effective application of legislation on the environment, particularly EU legislation. The site includes information about IMPEL's membership and activities and has a library of reports, presentations and other publications.

Bonn Agreement

The Bonn Agreement was inaugurated in 1983, and is an agreement for European cooperation in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances, by offering mutual assistance and co-operation in combating pollution; executing surveillance as an aid to detecting and combating pollution; and preventing violations of anti-pollution regulations. The Agreement is a commitment by North Sea coastal states, together with the EC.

European e-Justice portal

The e-Justice portal is a one-stop shop for lawyers, businesses and members of the public concerned with cross-border legal questions in Europe. It has information about the judicial and legal systems of all member states and provides access to EU and national legislation and case law. 15 tools or dynamic functions are available, including Find a Lawyer, Find a Company, the Fundamental Rights Interactive Tool, the Competent Court Database and a training platform for lawyers and the judiciary. The site can be accessed in all the official EU languages.

United Nations Human Rights Council

The UN Human Rights Council is the successor to the UN Commission on Human Rights. It is responsible for promoting and protecting human rights around the world. The Council's website gives details of its membership, rules of procedure, advisory committees and working groups, meetings and other events. There is information about the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), whereby the HRC reviews the human rights record of each UN Member States every four years.

Rajya Sabha

Official website of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) which is one of the Indian Houses of Parliament. Rajya Sabha is the Upper House of Parliament and its members are not elected directly by the Indian people but by the Legislative Assemblies of the various states. The site has background information on the role and composition of Rajya Sabha, organisational information and profiles of members. Details of parliamentary business are provided in bulletins, journals and synopses of debates.

Lok Sabha

Official website of the Lok Sabha (House of the People) which is one of the Indian Houses of Parliament. Lok Sabha is composed of representatives of the people directly elected by the adult population who are eligible to vote. The website gives details of members, parliamentary business and the work of committees. Parliamentary debates back to 2004 can be viewed in full text along with parliamentary questions. The site provides an outline of how laws are passed in the Indian Parliament.

Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic

Official website of the Slovakian Ministry of Justice. The site includes a profile of the Justice Minister and outlines the roles and duties of the individual sections within the Ministry. These cover criminal law, civil law and international law. There is information about the provision of legal aid and Slovakian extradition procedures. An outline of the court system and the Judicial Academy and an organisation chart of the Ministry are also given. The site is in Slovak.

Department for Communities - Law and Legislation

The Department for Communities is a department of the Northern Ireland Executive. Its key responsibilities are housing, social policy, social security and child welfare. This site features electronic collections of current Northern Ireland (NI) social security and child welfare legislation, and links to NI legislation relating to housing and social policy (such as licensing laws). There is also a link to the Northern Ireland Digest of Case Law database which includes decisions of the Social Security Commissioners and Child Support Commissioners for Northern Ireland.

Independent Case Examiner

Section of the UK government website covering the Independent Case Examiner (ICE), who investigates complaints made by users of agencies including the Child Support Agency, the Child Maintenance Service, Jobcentre Plus, the Pension Service, the Disability and Carers Service, Debt Management, Pension Wise and the Pension Protection Fund. Provides guidance on how to make a complaint and how complaints will be dealt with, additional information about the work of the ICE, annual reports and news items about the service.

Employment Law Guide

Website of the Employment Law Guide a freely available resource provided by the United States Department of Labor (DOL). The Guide provides information on major statutes and regulations administered by the DOL that affect businesses and workers. The Guide is arranged into sections which include wages and hours worked, health and safety standards, health benefits, retirement and workersã compensation, work authorisation for non-US citizens and federal contracts. Reference is also made to laws relating to the agriculture, construction and mining industries.

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