Lords say Govt should think again on Bill of Rights

The EU Justice Committee publishes its report on the Government’s proposal to introduce a UK Bill of Rights.

Read report

Key findings

The Committee says the evidence they received makes ‘a forceful case’ for the Government to think again on the policy.

The report says that the Government’s proposals:

• Will not depart significantly from the existing Human Rights Act.
• Are likely to “affirm” in a Bill of Rights all the rights contained within European Convention on Human Rights [as Stated by the Secretary of State], making the necessity of a Bill of Rights unclear.
• May damage the UK’s standing within the Council of Europe and the EU, and its moral authority internationally.
• May, lead to an increasing reliance on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in UK courts if the scope of the Human Rights Act is reduced. 
• Risk constitutional upheaval with the devolved nations, with the consequence that the proposed UK Bill of Rights could end up as an English Bill of Rights.