Michael Zander considers some classic instances of lies told about the Human Rights Act
The Human Rights Act 1998 came into force in October 2000. A mere 15 years later the Conservative Government aims to abolish the Act. The popular press has played a major role in demonising the Act. Over and over again it has peddled false stories, gleefully and irresponsibly then taken up by politicians.
Catgate
The best known perhaps is “catgate”—Home Secretary, Theresa May, telling the Conservative Party Conference in 2011 of the illegal immigrant “who cannot be deported because—and I am not making this up—he had pet a cat”. It is true that the first immigration judge in his judgment mentioned joint purchase of Maya the cat as one of the many indications that the illegal immigrant had an established relationship with his partner—but it was not the reason for that judge’s decision and in the judgment on appeal the cat was not even mentioned. The reason he could not be deported was that the UK Border Agency had not followed the rules. Ken Clarke, the then justice secretary,
