A damning new report from Policy Exchange has blasted the Conservatives’ record on attempted reforms to Britain’s human rights law – and argues that the most effective remedy is to leave the ECHR and repeal the Human Rights Act. No more half-measures…
The report, written by Professor Richard Ekins and Sir Stephen Laws, makes clear that marginal tinkering and confused objectives allowed Strasbourg to expand its influence unchecked, with the UK left bound to rulings that undermined both democracy and effective government. Lord Faulks, endorsing the report, said:
“The authors have provided an invaluable legal road map for policy makers. What is becoming increasingly clear is that the HRA and our membership of the ECHR is seriously inhibiting the Government’s freedom to respond to what is regarded by many as the “emergency” of illegal migration. This is the current issue, but there will be others as long as we retain the current legal architecture for the protection of human rights.”
Former Justice Secretary Michael Gove also lends his support to the paper. Of course, the likelihood of the current Labour government doing anything so bold is next to zero. The Tories at least, to atone for their sins, are set to commit to withdrawing from the ECHR at their upcoming conference. Any shadow cabinet minister looking for guidance on how to do that can read PX’s full report here…
Robert Jenrick on the Today programme:
“Can you now give a guarantee to your listeners this morning that no BBC presenter in the future will be exposed as a paedophile, as a number have been in the recent past? No, of course you can’t…”