The report, ‘Beyond Discretion: The Protection of British Nationals Abroad,’ reviews the experiences of several UK nationals with regards to the provision of consular assistance and diplomatic protection. In the UK, both consular assistance and diplomatic protection are not enshrined in UK law but are regulated instead as a matter of policy and thus are actions that are taken at the discretion of the UK government. The report calls for the introduction of a right to consular assistance to be part of UK law and an obligation for the UK government to exercise diplomatic protection where UK nationals, including dual nationals, have suffered or face a risk of serious human rights violations while abroad, when requested.
