Human Rights

We proposed a motion supporting the statement, “Protect Human Rights and Judicial Review” at https://humanrightsact.org.uk/, The words of the motion are below/overleaf and the timing immaculate; the government published its Bill to weaken the Human Rights Act the following week.

The motion says,

While every system could be improved, and protecting rights and freedoms for all is a balancing act, our Human Rights Act is a proportionate and well-drafted protection for the fundamental liberties and responsibilities of everyone in this country.

The Act guarantees the rights to free speech and expression, to life, to liberty, to security, to privacy, to assembly, and to freedom of religion or belief. It prohibits torture and guarantees fair trials and the rule of law.

Judicial review is an indispensable mechanism for individuals to assert those rights and freedoms against the power of the state.

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Someone else gave the speech, I wrote these notes,

This is a response to the Tory Party’s long term aim to weaken workers and citizen’s rights and our ability to enforce them in the courts.

We thought it important, since the Govt has actually got to the point of issuing a consultation proposing multiple ways in which the Labour’s Human Rights Act would be weakened, that Congress made a statement.

Human rights in the UK were defended by two laws which implemented two treaties. The European Communities Act implementing the Lisbon Treaty and the Human Rights Act implementing the European Convention on Human Rights.

Brexit has removed our access to the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the EU’s court which could issue binding rulings, and the Tories are now after the European Convention on Human Rights.

London Region made a submission to the consultation, concentrating on defending employment rights and the quality of decisions taken by public servants.

Most of the Uk’s limited adverse rulings have been related to MoJ issues either courts or prisons, which is odd since the MoJ is holds the compliance duty.

The ECHR and Human Rights Act is all we have.

We have strong policy, let’s tell the world, by endorsing this statement.

The CEC have asked us to refer to allow them to do a due diligence, we agree.

I ask you to support these principles. 

Image credit: Court Room of the ECHR,by Cherry X from wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0