10 December 2020

Today, across the globe, people are marking Human Rights Day. On this day in 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Looking back at the horrors of the Second World War, countries across the world - China to Chile, Australia to America, Russia to Lebanon - came together to say it must never again be acceptable for a government to commit such atrocities. There are a set of basic rights that belong to all people, simply because they are humans, and governments must be accountable for respecting, protecting and fulfilling these rights. 

At BIHR we often talk about the UDHR as the grandmother of our own law, the Human Rights Act. This is because the Human Rights Act brings 16 rights from the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law. The Convention, written in 1950, draws directly on the UDHR. Through our Human Rights Act we have brought these rights home and created legal duties which mean human rights are not only about courts but are also about our everyday lives and all the interactions people have public officials. 

Yet, knowledge and confidence about our human rights in the UK remains low - for example, do you feel certain that you can name all the human rights contained in the Human Rights Act? Coupled with this is UK political and media debates which rarely discuss the full value of the Human Rights Act, often descending into negative debates. The current government has a long-held intention to change our legal protections and on the 7 December 2020 announced a review into the Human Rights Act. The scope of this review seems very limited, looking at legal questions, with no mention of the impact of the law and how people have been making change through human rights for over 20 years to create a more just, dignified and decent life. 

So, this Human Rights Day, we are supporting action to shine a spotlight on to the role of the Human Rights Act for people across the UK. Find out more below!