Rights Liberties Justice aim to be a pre-eminent campaigning organisation serving the Liberal Democrat Party and helping with policy formation, and reaching out to promote liberal values in the law.


James Sandbach (Chair RLJ)

Our members comprise not only of Legal Executives, Solicitors and Barristers, academics, magistrates, law students and other professionals involved in the law, but also all, who are members of the Liberal Democrat Party interested in law reform.

Members are encouraged to become involved in policy development and discussion. Recent topics have included threats to the Human Rights Act, the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, civil liberties policy, citizenship education, powers of attorney, Legal Aid and access to justice, sentencing and offender rehabilitation, the legal profession, international law, and many more.

Interested? Read on. I hope you join and participate.

Best wishes

James Sandbach and Andrew Haslam-Jones
Joint-Chairs of Rights Liberties Justice ( Lib Dem Lawyers)


What we do at Rights Liberties Justice


  • The home for Liberal Democrats interested in issues of rights, liberties and justice.
  • Has members practising and working in all areas of the law, with considerable diversity of legal knowledge and experience.
  • Contributes to the Liberal Democrats’ policy making through working parties on legal policy and law reform
  • Special Affiliated Organisation (SAO) to the Liberal Democrats giving rights to take policy forwards at Conference.
  • Responds to government consultations on proposed legislation.
  • Issues a regular e-Newsletter
  • Holds regular webinars in which experts discuss various legal issues.
  • Our members comprise not only of Barristers, Solicitors, Legal Executives, Academics, Law students and other professionals involved in the law, but also all those who are members of the Liberal Democrat Party interested in law reform
  • Campaigns for liberal values in law reform and for the protection of civil liberties and human rights in the legal system and in our substantive law.
  • Briefs members of the United Kingdom, European and Scottish Parliaments, the Welsh Assembly and other elected bodies on legal issues.
  • Holds an annual lecture in the tradition of the esteemable Eighty Club.
  • Organises conferences, lectures and meetings, and fringe events at Federal Conference in Spring and Autumn. 


Recent News and Updates

2021 Accounts to be Received At AGM.

Below is a copy of the 2021 R-L-J Annual Accounts to be received at the 2022 AGM on the 19th of December. Explanatory note A difference of £94.87 relates to Constant Contact website charges and will be reviewed A cheque for the amount of £2023.63 has been issued and paid to G C Solicitor during (more…)

R/L/J Statement on the Proposed Bill of Rights Act

The government has published its proposed Bill of Rights Act, which is supposed to repeal and replace the existing human rights act, in response to several successful legal challenges to government policies (Most recently their plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda) under the existing framework. The proposed new bill severely curtails the ability of (more…)

‘Policing and Civil Liberties – Keeping Women Safe’ – LDLA/R-L-J Emergency Motion to LibDem Spring Conference

Policing and civil liberties – keeping women safe Conference has grave concerns about the unacceptable and heavy-handed policing of the Sarah Everard vigil held on Clapham Common on 13th March, its impact on confidence in the police given underlying concerns about institutional sexism, and message this conveyed about society’s response issues of gender violence, women’s (more…)

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