Last month, Rishi Sunak announced that we will have a General Election on 4 July.  Long awaited by some, too soon for others. The question for many, including lawyers, was what happened to all the bills that were wending their way through the legislative process?

All washed up?

Parliament was dissolved on 30 May, and there was a rush to get as many government bills through as possible in the so-called ‘wash-up’. The ‘wash up’ is not to be confused with the ‘wash out’ that was the Prime Minister's ill-judged, rain-soaked announcement.

The wash-up period refers to the last few days of a Parliament before dissolution. Any unfinished business is lost at dissolution and the government may need the co-operation of the Opposition in passing legislation that is still in progress.

In the past some Bills have been lost completely, while others have progressed quickly but in a much-shortened form. 

We took a look at some of the Bills most likely to be of interest to our clients, and set out below our best guess of which Bills will become law, and which would go back to the drawing board for an incoming government to reconStarmer, I mean reconsider.

Ai, ai, ai

As well as the Government Bills, a private members' AI Regulation Bill had been passing through the Lords - private members' bills rarely become law in any event, but Labour have said that if they win the election they will reconsider how to regulate AI.

We invited you to come back and mark our homework, so: 

UPDATE: the DMCC Bill and Media Bill completed the process and became Acts - watch this space for more information about those.  The other legislation in the table below has been abandoned.

Bill, bill, bill!