UK House of Lords approves Global Human Rights and IHL Sanctions Regulations and passes motion to regret

6 November 2026

The UK House of Lords has approved the Global Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Sanctions Regulations 2026 which came into force on 15 October 2026. The Regulations were made under the ‘made affirmative’ procedure, meaning that they must be approved by Parliament within 28 days to remain in force. See our UK Human Rights page and our coverage for more information on the Regulations.

The House also passed a ‘motion to regret’ the Regulations by 94 votes to 90. The motion is a procedural vote held by the House to formally criticise statutory instruments or their individual provisions. It does not affect the legal validity of the Regulations, or the House’s approval. The motion calls on the Government to publish clear designation criteria under the Regulations, to confirm that they will not affect lawful trade with Israel, and to provide an impact assessment and annual report to Parliament on their effect.