Geoffrey Bindman QC examines the law & politics of human rights
As tensions grow in the coalition over the economy and Lords reform, conflict between Conservatives and Lib Dems over human rights has been out of the public eye. Yet it has continued to simmer under the surface. There is no indication that the Conservative desire to repeal the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA 1998) has diminished, and the Lib Dems remain committed to its preservation. The Commission on a Bill of Rights established last year as a means of defusing the issue is required to complete its report by the end of the current year. The members were carefully chosen to achieve approximate parity between those likely to support each of the two opposing positions. Their report is thus unlikely to resolve the conflict.
Terms of reference
The terms of reference of the Commission’s inquiry are not, however, restricted to HRA 1998, which is not even mentioned in them. The main focus is on whether a UK Bill of Rights should be created that “incorporates and builds on all our
