The government is bolstering the remit of the Department for Constitutional Affairs' (DCA) advisory committee on private international law to meet the demands of globalisation.

The committee - composed of judges, lawyers, academics and civil servants and chaired by Sir Peter North QC - already advises the government on continuing negotiations at the Hague conference on private international law for a global accord covering commercial agreements on choice of forum.


In addition it will now advise in EU negotiations on harmonised rules governing the selection of jurisdiction in tort cases and future negotiations for replacing the 1980 Rome Convention with an EU law on contractual obligations.


It will also advise on references from national courts to the European Court of Justice that raise major private international law issues, and other issues impacting on UK law.


Lord Filkin, under-secretary of state in the DCA, said: 'In this increasingly globalised world, it is important that we have appropriate rules to handle cases where the relationship between our legal system and that in another country needs to be resolved. I'm sure this committee will play an important part in helping the government as it takes on its expanded role.'