Business and Human Rights Regulation in the UK: Legal Models and Liability Pathways
Date: 24 March 2026
Time: 17.00 - 18.30 (Registration from 16.30)
Followed by a reception
Event Details
This roundtable discusses the possible trajectory of business and human rights regulation in the UK. While the current UK framework remains anchored in the Modern Slavery Act 2015, recent developments signal a shift in policy thinking. In December 2025, the UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner published a model legislative proposal for mandatory human rights due diligence for companies with turnover above £36 million. UK civil society, led by the Corporate Justice Coalition, continue to call for a broader UK Business, Human Rights and Environment Act.
This call builds on a Private Members' Bill introduced by Baroness Lola Young in Parliament in 2023, which set out a similar architecture for human rights and environmental protection - in December, Baroness Young released a dossier on a 'UK law to raise the bar on business standards'. Since 2020, BIICL has advanced the debate suggesting a model based on failure to prevent corporate human rights harms in the UK and is currently in the process of re-examining its feasibility and business views. The roundtable reflects on these developments and examines the technical legal elements of business and human rights regulations in the UK.
Chair
Dr Irene Pietropaoli, Senior Research Fellow in Business & Human Rights and Director of the Business and Human Rights Forum
Speakers:
- Dan Leader, Leigh Day
- Hannah Edmonds-Camara, Covington & Burling LLP
- Aladdin Benali, Omnia Strategy LLP
- Luise Schroter, Corporate Justice Coalition (CJC)
Registration
This event is open to members of the Business and Human Rights Forum and invited guests. Please contact Dr Irene Pietropaoli to request a place at this event.
