New BIICL Report Looks at Preventing Human Rights Harms

As developments around mandatory human rights due diligence laws are taking place rapidly across Europe, the report considers the legal feasibility of introducing into UK law a corporate duty to prevent human rights harms.

Key findings include:

• The majority of companies surveyed indicated that existing law does not provide business with sufficient legal certainty about which procedures are required to avoid legal risks for human rights abuses.

• The majority of company respondents expect regulation to bring about benefits to business providing legal certainty, a level playing field, and a non-negotiable standard to facilitate leverage with third parties. Companies which have experience with the UK Bribery Act, confirm that it has had similar benefits for business.