Handbook for Lawyers on Business and Human Rights

Shift, International Bar Association, July 2017

This handbook, published by the International Bar Association, aims to assist lawyers who seek to integrate business and human rights considerations into the advice they provide to clients in relation to M&A and commercial transactions. The Handbook brings together in one place a diverse collection of educational resources relating to the roles and responsibilities of legal practitioners with respect to business and human rights, including background context and explanation, case scenarios, discussion exercises, frequently asked questions (FAQs), sample checklists and further reading and resources.

The Handbook builds upon the IBA’S BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS GUIDANCE FOR BAR ASSOCIATIONS and its PRACTICAL GUIDE ON BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS FOR BUSINESS LAWYERS (Guidance documents), adopted by the IBA Council in 2015 and 2016 respectively. The Guidance documents aim to support the work of bar associations and law societies with respect to business and human rights, and explore the implications of the UN Guiding Principles for lawyers. In late 2016, the IBA’s Business and Human Rights Working Group issued a SUPPLEMENTARY REFERENCE ANNEX which provides more detail to support the Guidance documents.