The impact of the Human Rights Act on the House of Lords

This article examines the impact of the Human Rights Act on the House of Lords. The HRA came into force on 2 October 2000 and has received much attention from academics, lawyers, politicians and members of the public. But there has been little sustained empirical analysis of its impact. This article, the first of a projected series, aims to start redressing this gap. It presents the findings of a quantitative analysis of the judicial caseload of the House of Lords for the period 1994-2007. It also seeks to contribute to the growing literature on the identity and function of the House of Lords (soon to become the Supreme Court).