Tories 'pause for thought' on Human Rights Act in Queen's Speech

'My government will bring forward proposals for a British Bill of Rights': these words, uttered by the Queen at the inauguration of a new government, provide confirmation that, for now at least, the government has backed down on its plans to scrap Labour's Human Rights Act.

The introduction of a British Bill of Rights has faced a furious backlash from Conservative backbenchers, lawyers, and the judiciary since news first emerged that the new Lord Chancellor, Michael Gove, had been tasked with scrapping the Act within the first 100 days of parliament.

As reported in the Times, and ahead of the Queen's Speech, a government source said it was more important to get the Bill 'right, rather than quickly', before adding it would be 'odd if we did not consult widely'.

The news came despite the proposed legislation already being drawn up by Conservative lawyers during the last parliament.

Responding to the Queen's Speech, Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, said: 'It is heartening that a Conservative government committed to scrapping the Human Rights Act has at least paused for thought in its first Queen's Speech.

There is a long struggle ahead but time is the friend of freedom. The more this new parliament understands the value of the HRA for all of us in this United Kingdom and our reputation in the world, the more it is likely to understand how dangerous it would be to replace human rights with mere citizens' privileges.'

Star endorsement

The government's pause on scrapping the HRA comes as Liberty launches a new campaign to save the embattled legislation.

A cast of stellar actors has joined the organisation and called on the government to discontinue its controversial plans to repeal the Human Rights Act.

In a series of short films, actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Indira Varma, David Harewood, Simon Callow, and Vanessa Redgrave lend their voices to the stories of ordinary people who have used the HRA as a powerful force for good.

Cumberbatch added his voice to the cause by saying that the HRA belongs to all members of society.

'It's not for politicians to pick and choose when they apply or who deserves protection. Repealing it will mean less protection against state abuse or neglect, and weaken the rights of every single one of us - and the vulnerable most of all,' Cumberbatch said.

Varma, of the hit HBO show Game of Thrones, commented that the HRA was something for the British public to be proud of: 'Our Human Rights Act protects every one of us - young or old, wealthy and poor, civilian or soldier. It is a cause for pride and celebration, not a pawn in a dangerous political game. It is ours and no one is taking it from us without a fight.'

Meanwhile, Four Weddings and a Funeral star Callow - who also recently lent his voice to a cartoon where legal aid superheroes fight a villainous Lord Chancellor - remarked: 'The Human Rights Act is one of the few laws that enables us to hold the powerful to account. No surprise then that the government wants to scrap it. The Act is a triumph of British values; we abandon it at our peril.'

Commenting on the films, Chakrabarti, added: 'These films tell just a few of the stories of our Human Rights Act giving a voice to some of the most vulnerable people‎ in our country. Soldiers, journalists, victims of rape, domestic violence, and slavery all found justice thanks to Churchill's Legacy.

'Government plans to scrap the Act play populist games with hard-won freedoms and undermine the United Kingdom at home and abroad.'

 

John van der Luit-Drummond is deputy editor for Solicitors Journal
john.vanderluit@solicitorsjournal.co.uk | @JvdLD