Government bodies

Council of the European Union: agreements database

This database, provided by the Council of the European Union, gives details of international agreements concluded between the EU and non-EU countries or organisations such as UN agencies; it also includes agreements between EU member states. The database covers all agreements since 1989, plus older agreements which are still in force and selected old agreements which are no longer in force. Ratification details and other status information are given. Official Journal references are provided, with links either to the full text or the EUR-Lex database's Official Journal search screen.

Permanent Court of Arbitration

Official website of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which hears disputes between States, between States and private parties and between international organisations. PCA awards and other case documentation are available on the site, together with details of pending cases. UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) cases arbitrated under the auspices of the PCA are also provided. The Documents and Resources section includes the basic PCA conventions, model clauses and procedural rules, together with a collection of conventions and other instruments referring to the PCA.

Congreso de la Republica de Colombia: Camara de Representantes

Official website of the Chamber of Representatives (legislative branch) of the Congress of Colombia. There are profiles of representatives and information on the work of the Chamber. Full text codes and legislation back to 1992 can be viewed on the site along with a copy of the Constitution and a list of bills. An outline of the work of the various commissions and committees is also given. The site is available in Spanish only.

 

London Court of International Arbitration

The London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) is one of the longest-established international institutions for the resolution of commercial disputes. Its website describes its history, structure and work. The LCIA Rules are available in English, Arabic, French, Chinese, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian and Russian. Model arbitration, alternative dispute resolution and mediation clauses for contracts are also provided (in English only), together with the LCIA Mediation Procedure. Information about symposia and conferences, news, contacts and FAQs are also offered by the site.

Criminal Justice System

Section of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) website covering the criminal justice system in England and Wales. Intended for the general public, the pages describe the stages of a criminal case from the reporting of a crime to the court verdict, explain how the CPS decides whether or not to prosecute, and give an overview of other official bodies and organisations working in the field of criminal justice.

Scottish Parliament

Official website of the Scottish Parliament, covering its history, procedures, news, publications, MSPs (Members of the Scottish Parliament) and parliamentary business.  Current and previous bills are available, together with the Official Report (the record of what was said in Parliament and in public committee sessions), committee reports, parliamentary questions and other information.

Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service

This website provides an access point to information relating to all civil and criminal courts within Scotland, including the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary, the Sheriff Courts and a number of other courts, commissions and tribunals as well as the District courts. There is information about the different courts including location details, contact numbers, details of judges and recent judgments. Links are given to the various tribunal websites.

Equality Commission for Northern Ireland

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is an independent public body. They have three main duties: to work towards the elimination of sex discrimination; to promote equality of opportunity between women and men; and to keep the legislation under review. This is the only government appointed body in Northern Ireland with statutory power to enforce the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 and the Equal Pay Act (Northern Ireland) 1970 as amended.

Employment Appeal Tribunal

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) is the senior court in England and Wales which deals with appeals from decisions of the Employment Tribunals. Its website provides information on the purpose, operation and current work of the tribunal. This includes information on procedure, schedules of forthcoming works and a searchable database of decisions in cases from 1999 onwards. Typical areas dealt with include: unfair dismissal cases, disputes over contacts of employment and sex discrimination at work.

The Legislative Observatory

The European Parliament's Legislative Observatory website, also known as OEIL, consists mainly of a searchable database tracking every proposal through the EU legislative process. All ongoing legislative procedures are included, plus concluded procedures going back to July 1994. For each procedure, there are summaries of key stages in the legislative process and forecasts of future stages. Links to the full text of many legislative documents are provided.

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