Category: human rights

UK passes ‘human rights exam’, but with room to improve – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted June 7th, 2012 in human rights, news, reports, United Nations by sally

“Last week the UN Human Rights Commissioner published the draft report of the second Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UK’s human rights record (draft report here, webcast of the UPR session here). The UPR involves delegations from UN member states asking questions and make recommendations to the UK government on the protection of human rights, which the government will consider before providing its response. The report is extremely wide-ranging, perhaps to its detriment, though many valuable and interesting insights are provided.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 6th June 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Criticisms remain as dust settles on secret trials bill – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted June 6th, 2012 in bills, closed material, human rights, news, private hearings by sally

“In stark contrast to the pageantry surrounding the Royal Jubilee, here is a somewhat sombre update on the Justice and Security Bill, which was published on 28 May 2012 and is currently receiving its second reading in the House of Lords. The Bill aims to introduce Close Material Procedures, that is secret hearings, into civil trials.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 5th June 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Gangmasters caught running illegal labour teams escape prosecution – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 6th, 2012 in gangmasters, human rights, licensing, news, quangos by sally

“Hundreds of gangmasters caught running illegal migrant labour squads are avoiding prosecution, it can be revealed.”

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Daily Telegraph, 6th June 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Details of innocent people are still being held on DNA database – The Independent

Posted June 6th, 2012 in data protection, DNA, human rights, news by sally

“The Government is failing to delete innocent people from Britain’s vast DNA database, according to figures released today which shows that nearly 70,000 under-16s have now had their genetic fingerprints recorded.”

Full story

The Independent, 5th June 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Retention of data on octogenarian protester “amply justified” – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted June 1st, 2012 in criminal records, data protection, demonstrations, human rights, news, police by tracey

“Catt v Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis [2012] EWHC 1471. Retention of data on a national database of material relating to a protester’s attendance at demonstrations by a group that had a history of violence, criminality and disorder, did not engage Article 8 of the Human Rights Convention.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 31st May 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Tamil asylum seekers due for deportation given reprieve – The Independent

Posted June 1st, 2012 in asylum, deportation, human rights, injunctions, news, torture by tracey

“A group of Tamil asylum seekers who were meant to have been deported back to Sri Lanka this afternoon have been given a last minute reprieve after lawyers managed to persuade a court that they were at a credible risk of torture should they be returned.”

Full story

The Independent, 31st May 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Protester John Catt loses database fight – The Independent

Posted May 30th, 2012 in demonstrations, human rights, news, privacy by tracey

” An 87-year-old political campaigner has lost a legal action to have details about his attendance at various protests removed from a police ‘extremism’ database.”

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The Independent, 30th May 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Time and time again: Article 6 to the rescue – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 28th, 2012 in extradition, human rights, news, time limits by sally

“Last week Rosalind English did a summary post on the important Supreme Court case of Lukaszewski and others, R (on the application of Halligen) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] UKSC 20 – read judgement. The technicalities of this decision about extradition time limits are set out in her post. Here, I explore the potential implications for other cases.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 28th May 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Census objector granted leave to challenge Census Act – The Guardian

Posted May 28th, 2012 in census, conscientious objection, Crown Prosecution Service, human rights, judicial review, news, prosecutions by sally

“The government’s prosecution of census objectors is in jeopardy after a Birmingham man was granted a judicial review to challenge the legality of the act that makes it an offence not to complete the 10-yearly survey.”

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The Guardian, 26th May 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Activists arrested before royal wedding to challenge police in high court – The Guardian

Posted May 28th, 2012 in demonstrations, human rights, judicial review, news, police, royal family by sally

“Activists who were rounded up before last year’s royal wedding are challenging the Metropolitan police in the high court on Monday in a case that could have implications for the way the Queen’s diamond jubilee celebrations and the Olympics are policed.”

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The Guardian, 27th May 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

European Court of Human Rights’ respect for democracy: prisoner voting – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 28th, 2012 in elections, human rights, news, prisons by sally

“There has been some discussion on the UK Human Rights Blog about the judgments in the Hirst v UK/Scoppula v Italy cases, the latest of which was given this week. Simply put, the judgments held (taken together) that the UK’s blanket ban on prisoner voting infringed a prisoner’s voting rights; to comply with the Convention, a ban on prisoner voting would have to involve an exercise of discretion. The growing legal discussion has been learned and has dissected the reasons expressed by the ECtHR. However, from the perspective of a non-specialist human rights lawyer, the discussion seems curiously inverted. It is suggested that the non-lawyer would naturally start an analysis of the competing views not by analysing the caselaw of the ECtHR and asking what room to manoeuvre the latest judgment gives the UK government, but by asking what the court had to say about the recent expression of the will of the people, expressed in the vote in Parliament, which supported the continuation of the ban. It is important for lawyers to address these more general issues for the public to maintain confidence in the system of European human rights law.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 25th May 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

UK proud of human rights record – Ministry of Justice

Posted May 25th, 2012 in human rights, press releases by tracey

“The Government is proud of its human rights’ record, Justice Minister Lord McNally today told a United Nations’ review of the UK’s human rights record over the last four years.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 24th May 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

The case for letting prisoners vote – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 25th, 2012 in elections, human rights, news, prisons by tracey

“Last Tuesday saw the latest episode in the prisoner voting legal saga with the European Court of Human Rights’ Grand Chamber’s judgment reversing the Chamber judgment which found Italy’s automatic ban on voting for prisoners serving over 3 years in prison (and a lifetime ban with the possibility of future relief for those sentenced to more than 5 years) in breach of Article 3 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 24th May 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

We must defy Strasbourg on prisoner votes – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 25th, 2012 in elections, human rights, news, prisons by tracey

“The judges in Europe have exceeded their authority by trying to overrule British law – by David Davis and Jack Straw.”

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Daily Telegraph, 24th May 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

UK to resist giving prisoners the vote despite European court ruling – The Guardian

Posted May 24th, 2012 in delay, elections, human rights, news, prisons by sally

“David Cameron believes he will be able to resist implementing a ruling from the European court of human rights that prisoners must be granted the right to vote during his time in Downing Street.”

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The Guardian, 23rd May 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Why no public appointment hearings for UK’s new European Court of Human Rights judge? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 23rd, 2012 in courts, human rights, judges, news by sally

“The Guardian reported yesterday that ‘MPs aiming to claw back powers from Europe have secretly interviewed candidates to become Britain’s next judge at the European court of human rights’. Oliver Heald MP said that a group of MPs from the three main political parties met the 3 candidates, Raquel Agnello QC, Paul Mahoney and Ben Emmerson QC. The aim is ‘to improve democratic accountability’.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 23rd May 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

European Court of Human Rights retreats but doesn’t surrender on prisoner votes – UK Human Rights

Posted May 23rd, 2012 in elections, human rights, news, prisons, rule of law by sally

“The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that states must allow for at least some prisoners to vote, but that states have a wide discretion as to deciding which prisoners. This amounts to a retreat on prisoner votes, but certainly no surrender. As I predicted, the court reaffirmed the principles set out in Hirst No. 2, that an automatic and indiscriminate bans breach the European Convention on Human Rights, but also reaffirmed that it was up to states to decide how to remove those indiscriminate bans.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 22nd May 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Prisoners must be given right to vote, European court rules – The Guardian

Posted May 23rd, 2012 in elections, human rights, news, prisons, rule of law by sally

“Prisoners in the UK must be given the right to vote, the European court of human rights (ECHR) has ruled, though ministers may determine which inmates should be enfranchised.”

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The Guardian, 22nd May 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Don’t rely on human rights in a dismissal claim – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 23rd, 2012 in appeals, doctors, hospitals, human rights, news, unfair dismissal by sally

“For a government much divided about rights of employees and the Beecroft Report that proposes curtailing them, some relief is provided by this Court of Appeal ruling, a further blow to those who have argued that Article 6 can be deployed against their employers.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 23rd May 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Strasbourg’s prisoner votes judgment amounts to a retreat, but no surrender – The Guardian

Posted May 23rd, 2012 in elections, human rights, news, prisons, rule of law by sally

“The government should now accept its responsibilities under the human rights convention. Any other reaction will significantly harm the rule of law.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd May 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk