The Human Rights Act is at risk in the UK.

The Human Rights Act is a powerful tool. It brings home fundamental, universal rights we all have as human beings, and allows us to challenge authorities if they violate them, but the UK government may scrap the Act – help us save it. Help save the Act, don’t let the UK government turn universal freedoms into privileges for a chosen few. Call on the Justice Secretary to save the Human Rights Act.

Please follow the below link and sign the Amnesty International petition

savetheact.uk

What human rights are covered by the Act?

The Act sets out your human rights in a series of ‘Articles’. Each Article deals with a different right. These are all taken from the European Convention of Human Rights and are commonly known as ‘the Convention Rights’:

Article 2: Right to life
Article 3: Freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment
Article 4: Freedom from slavery and forced labour
Article 5: Right to liberty and security
Article 6: Right to a fair trial
Article 7: No punishment without law
Article 8: Respect for your private and family life, home and correspondence
Article 9: Freedom of thought, belief and religion
Article 10: Freedom of expression
Article 11: Freedom of assembly and association
Article 12: Right to marry and start a family
Article 14: Protection from discrimination in respect of these rights and freedoms
Protocol 1, Article 1: Right to peaceful enjoyment of your property
Protocol 1, Article 2: Right to education
Protocol 1, Article 3: Right to participate in free elections
Protocol 13, Article 1: Abolition of the death penalty

Articles 1 and 13 of the European Convention of Human Rights do not feature in the Act. This is because, by creating the Human Rights Act, the UK has fulfilled these rights.

Article 1 says that states must secure the rights of the Convention in their own jurisdiction. The Human Rights Act is the main way of doing this for the UK.

Article 13 makes sure that if people’s rights are violated they are able to access effective remedy. This means they can take their case to court to seek a judgment. The Human Rights Act is designed to make sure this happens.

equalityhumanrights.com/en/human-rights/human-rights-act

legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/42/contents