HUMAN RIGHTS INFO News and Media News Over 150 organisations sign Human Rights Day letter On Human Rights Day, Chief Executives of 157 organisations across the UK signed an open letter from the British Institute of Human Rights, published in The Times, calling on our political leaders to “stand with the Human Rights Act recognising it is the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights made law here at home.” The organisations, which represent people from all walks of life - carers, people seeking asylum, disabled people, children, Gypsy Travellers, people living with cancer and other health conditions, people living in poverty - joined with BIHR in celebrating "the often overlooked everyday differences our Human Rights Act makes for people across the UK." The letter notes: "Today is Human Rights Day. Across the globe, people are celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This international Magna Carta for all humanity has inspired so much, including our own Human Rights Act. Today we celebrate the often overlooked everyday differences our Human Rights Act makes for people across the UK. Our examples are many, whether this is supporting children to access education, stopping inhuman treatment of older people, providing refugees with safety, preventing discrimination, or offering justice for victims and families failed by the system, and many more. Today we celebrate how our Human Rights Act strengthens our democracy, giving everyone a voice, and ensuring the powerful do not go unchecked. Today we celebrate how our Human Rights Act does more than defend our traditional liberties. It makes the universal human rights we share with people across the world part of our law here at home. Today the future of human rights in the UK is uncertain. Today we stand with the Human Rights Act recognising it is the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights made law here at home. We urge our political leaders to stand with us." Stephen Bowen, Director of the British Institute of Human Rights, said: "As Human Rights Day is celebrated across the globe and around the country, this is an opportunity for us to reflect on the progress made at home on human rights, this year being the 15th anniversary of our own Human Rights Act. I am delighted that scores of organisations across the UK have joined with us to speak up for the importance of our Human Rights Act. At a time when our human rights at home risk being unravelled by the government policy to ‘scrap’ the law and replace it with a 'British Bill of Rights', today’s letter from civil society to our political leaders is a timely reminder that our Human Rights Act is based on the universal human rights that protect us all, and which are being celebrated around the world today." You can read the letter here. The list of signatories is below: Stephen Bowen, Director, British Institute of Human Rights (In alphabetical order by organisation) Fiona Bawdon, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, Martha Spurrier, Director, Act for the Act Campaign Gary Fitzgerald, Chief Executive, Action on Elder Abuse Paul Breckell, Chief Executive, Action on Hearing Loss Steve Johnson, Chief Executive, Advice UK Justine Hodgkinson, Chief Executive, Advocacy Focus Rachel Rowlands, Chief Executive, Age Connects Morgannwg Dean Richards, Chief Executive, Age Connects Neath Port Talbot Karen Crane, Chief Executive, Age Connects North East Wales Brian Sloan, Chief Executive, Age Scotland Matthew Evans, Director, AIRE Centre Joe Powell, National Director, All Wales People First Neil Campbell, Chief Executive, Alternative Futures Group Kate Allen, Director, Amnesty International UK Jeff Hawkins, Chairman Age Connects Wales, and Chief Executive Age Connects Cardiff and the Vale Katy Sanderson, General Manager, Arcadea Shaminder Ubhi, Director, Ashinana Network Wayne Myslik, Chief Executive, Asylum Aid Ewan Roberts, Centre Manager, Asylum Link Dann Kenningham, National Coordinator, ATD Fourth World Donna Covey, Director, AVA (Against Violence and Abuse) Priscilla Nkwenti, Chief Executive, BHA for Equality Elizabeth Prochaska, Chair, Birthrights Asif Afridi, Deputy Chief Executive, BRAP Andrew Copson, Chief Executive, British Humanist Association Ann Chivers, Chief Executive, British Institute of Learning Disabilities Brian Gormally, Director, CAJ Maurice Frankel, Director, Campaign for Freedom of Information Helena Herklots, Chief Executive, Carers UK Dr Philip McCarthy, Chief Executive, Caritas Social Action Network Alison Garnham, Chief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group Tam Baillie, Commissioner, Children and Young People’s Commission Scotland Peter Newell, Coordinator, Children are unbeatable! Alliance Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner, Children's Commission for England Sally Holland, Children’s Commissioner, Children's Commission for Wales Louise King and, Carla Garnelas, Co-Directors, Children's Rights Alliance for England Jim Bowen, Manager, Clynfyw Care Farm Jatin Haria, Executive Director, Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights Derith Powell, Chief Executive Officer, Community Development Cymru Catherine Rayner, Chair, Discrimination Law Association Martyn Jones, Chief Executive, Diverse Cymru Leigh Daynes, Director, Doctors of the World Carol Boys, Chief Executive, Down's Syndrome Association Sarah Green, Director, End Violence against Women Jo Glanville, Director, English PEN Bharti Patel, Chief Executive, EPCAT UK Dimitrina Petrova, Executive Director, Equal Rights Trust Ali Harris, Chief Executive, Equality and Diversity Forum Jacqui Hunt, Director, Equality Now Jago Russell, Chief Executive, Fair Trials Mustafa Field MBE, Director, Faiths Forum for London Cathy Ashley, Director, Family Rights Group Sam Smethers, Chief Executive, Fawcett Society Susan Munroe, Chief Executive, Freedom from Torture Peter Roscoe, Chair, FRESh Chris Whitwell, Director, Friends, Families and Travellers Nik Noone, Chief Executive, GALOP Henry Blaxland QC, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers Terry Reed OBE, Co-Founder, Gender Identity Research and Education Society (GIRES) Gillian Caldwell, Executive Director, Global Witness Lucy Peake, Chief Executive, Grandparents Plus Bella Kosmala, Coordinator, Greenwich Migrant Hub Helen Hibberd, Centre Manager, Hackney Migrant Centre Prof Cornelius Katona, Medical Director, Helen Bamber Foundation Alison Gelder, Chief Executive, Housing Justice Frances Crook, Chief Executive, Howard League for Penal Reform Dr Damien Short and Dr Corinne Lennox, Director and Associate Director, Human Rights Consortium Kevin Hanratty, Director, Human Rights Consortium David Mepham, Director, Human Rights Watch Simon Hancock, Board Equality Champion, Hywel Dda University Health Board Theo Gavrielides, Founder & Director, IARS International Institute Marai Larasi, Executive Director, Imkaan Imran Khan, Partner, Imran Khan and Partners Deborah Coles and Helen Shaw, Co-Directors, INQUEST Sarah Khan and Kalsoom Bashir, Director, Inspire Women Saira Grant, Chief Executive, Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants Shauneen Lambe, Executive Director, Just for kids Law Alyas Karmani, Interim Director, JUST West Yorkshire Andrea Coomber, Director, JUSTICE Kate Roberts, Head of Policy, Kalayaan Julie Bishop, Director, Law Centres Network Steve Hynes, Director, Legal Action Group Nicola Mackintosh QC (Hon) and Jenny Beck, Co-Chairs, Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG) Paul Roberts, Chief Executive, LGBT Consortium Paul Martin OBE, Chief Executive, LGBT Foundation Shami Chakrabarti, Director, Liberty Eithne Rynne, Chief Executive, London Voluntary Service Council Phillip Watson, Chief Executive, Manor Gardens Welfare Trust Theresa Schleicher, Acting Director, Medical Justice Jenny Edwards CBE, Chief Executive, Mental Health Foundation Zrinka Bralo, Executive Director, Migrant and Refugee Community Forum Don Flynn, Director, Migrant Rights Network Paul Farmer, Chief Executive, Mind Deborah Gold, Chief Executive, NAT Des Kelly, Executive Director, National Care Forum Rob Greig, Chief Executive, National Development Team for Inclusion Sarah Yiannoullou, National Director, National Survivor User Network Megan Dunn, President, National Union of Students Jeremy Taylor, Chief Executive, National Voices Zarin Hainsworth, Chair, NAWO Patrick Yu, Executive Director, NICEM Colin Devine, Coordinator, North West Community Network Sean Silver, Chair, Northamptonshire Rights and Equality Council Koulla Yiasouma, Commissioner, Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People Sarah Rochira, Older People's Commissioner for Wales, Older People's Commission for Wales Katherine Murphy, Chief Executive, Patients Association Karen Chandler, Chief Officer, Pembrokeshire People First Sally Daghlian OBE, Chief Executive, Praxis Juliet Lyon, Director, Prison Reform Trust Andy Gregg, Chief Executive, Race on the Agenda Rita Chadha, Chief Executive, RAMFEL Carla Ferstman, Director, REDRESS Maurice Wren, Chief Executive, Refugee Council Mia Hasenson-Gross, Director, Rene Cassin Clare Algar, Chief Executive, Reprieve Emma Scott, Director, Rights of Women Yasmine Ahmed, Director, Rights Watch UK Mark Fish, Director, Room to Heal Cathy Warwick, Chief Executive, Royal College of Midwives Janet Davies, Chief Executive, Royal College of Nursing Omar Khan, Director, Runnymede Trust Shoaib M Khan, Senior Partner, S&S Immigration Law Barbara Natasegara MBE, Chief Executive, Safer Wales Ltd Marjorie Wallace, Chief Executive, SANE Mark Atkinson, Chief Executive, Scope Eamon Keane, Convenor, Scottish Legal Action Group Durrah Mahmood, Trustee Secretary, Songololo Feet Pragna Patel, Director, Southall Black Sisters Jan Gavin, Chief Executive, Southern Advocacy Services Jon Barrick, Chief Executive, Stroke Association Heidi Travis, Chief Executive, Sue Ryder Joy Hibbins, Founder/Co-Director, Suicide Crisis Kolbassia Haoussou, Co-ordinator, Survivors Speak OUT Dr Ngoyi Barthelemy Malumba, Managing Director, Tameside Human Rights Watch and UK Immigration Services Prof Katja Ziegler, Director, the Centre of European Law and Internationalisation (CELI) Matthew Reed, Chief Executive, the Children's Society Annette Lawson, Chair, the Judith Trust Anna Gaughan, Chief Executive, the Life Story Network Juliet Harris, Director, Together - Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights Frances O'Grady, General Secretary, Trade Union Congress Penelope Gibbs, Director, Transform Justice Yvonne MacNamara, Chief Executive Officer, Traveller Movement Martin Coyle, Director, True Voice Paul Dillane, Executive Director, UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group Alan Anstead, Coordinator, UK Race and Europe Network Dave Prentis, General Secretary, UNISON Dianna Holland, Assistant General Secretary, Unite Natalie Samarasinghe, Executive Director, United Nations Association - UK Michele Lamb, Head of Department Social Sciences, University of Roehampton and Crucible Centre for Human Rights Alexandra Runswick, Director, Unlock Democracy Kunle Olulode, Director, Voice4Change Mike Sherriff, Chief Executive, Voluntary Action Islington Sally Baker, Director, Wales PEN Cymru Eleri Butler, Chief Executive, Welsh Women’s Aid Joyce Kallevik, Director, Wish Jonathan Toye, Chief Executive, WNDiS (West Norfolk Disability Information Service) Polly Neate, Chief Executive, Women's Aid Annie Campbell, Chief Executive, Women's Aid Federation Northern Ireland Vivienne Hayes, Chief Executive, Women's Resource Centre Oliver Carter and Rachel Francis, Co-Chairs, Young Legal Aid Lawyers