Equalities watchdog expresses ‘serious concerns’ over Bill of Rights Bill
The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has said it is ‘deeply concerned’ about the impact that the Bill of Rights would have on the protections provided by the Human Rights Act.
The Commission has given evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights highlighting a ‘number of concerns’, pending a date being set for the Bill's second reading.
In its evidence, the EHRC said that while it welcomed the UK Government’s commitment in the Bill to remain “party to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and to maintain the incorporation of Convention rights in UK law”, it argued that the Bill, if passed without amendments, would:
- weaken the protection of human rights in the UK
- reduce access to redress for breaches of human rights
- have unwelcome implications in relation to balancing rights in the context of freedom of expression
- have constitutional implications, including for the Union and devolution
It argued that the Human Rights Act “significantly improved human rights protections” in the UK by enabling individuals to bring claims in domestic courts and receive a remedy if their rights are breached.
However, the Commission claimed that “some provisions of the Bill will make it harder for people to access justice for human rights violations”, in that while people will still be able to seek a remedy for potential violations in UK courts, the Bill seeks to introduce provisions that could prevent some claims proceeding or succeeding.
The EHRC said: “It is vital that the Government upholds the fundamental principles of the human rights framework that protects us all, in particular the universality of human rights.”
It added: “We will continue to engage with the UK government to strengthen equality and human rights across Britain”.
Lottie Winson
