In a letter to The Times, Geraldine Van Bueren QC, Professor of International Human Rights Law at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), writes about the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act. She writes: “The suggestion that the next government should repeal the Human Rights Act without anything in place to safeguard rights, such as freedom of the press and freedom of religion, is at best unwise and at worst irresponsible.
The protection of human rights has been a core British value since Magna Carta. In this, the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta’s younger sister, Carta de Foresta1217, efforts ought to be focused on protecting additional rights. The right to food and the right to energy, which originated in Carta de Foresta, would improve the lives of many who feel ignored. A Human Rights Act plus, incorporating additional social justice rights, is the only way forward, so that our British tradition of improving human rights continues to be respected globally". Read the full letter (subscription required).