The Government has announced plans to change the way the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is interpreted

In its attempt to look tough on immigration, the Government risks taking us down a road of no return by jeopardising the legal framework that protects us all. Undermining the European Convention on Human Rights, or leaving as some propose, means dismantling a safety net that protects every one of us. 

The rights within the ECHR, firmly implanted into UK law by the Human Rights Act, are the reason why families devastated by disasters like Hillsborough could demand justice, why victims of abuse can seek safety, and why disabled people are treated with dignity in care. It grants our right to protest, our right to privacy, our right to fair trials. And so much more.  

As a former Human Rights Lawyer, the Prime Minister knows better than most the value of the ECHR in protecting the vulnerable and upholding justice. 

The Government are defending reforms to the ECHR in the name of public interest, yet they are not being honest about what people stand to lose if they lay the groundwork for further diminishing our human rights. The ECHR is a vital foundation of our freedoms, and it is essential that any changes do not open the door to the slow erosion of our rights, now or in the future. 

In an age of scapegoating, misinformation and division, we must not let it be torn up for political convenience.   

We will be sure to keep you updated on our work on this. 

In solidarity,

Sam Grant

Director of External Relations