107 organisations stand firm on Human Rights Act

News

This letter has been published in the Telegraph today. It asks political leaders to acknowledge the continued relevance of human rights globally and here at home.

SIR – Sixty-five years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), we ask political leaders to acknowledge the continued relevance of human rights globally and here at home. As leaders of civil society groups, we see the vital role of human rights in ensuring a fair and healthy democracy, helping us all to live with dignity and respect. Yet while human rights are so often the inspiration for domestic law across the world, they rarely feature in current Westminster rhetoric.

This Human Rights Day, we ask political leaders to ensure that Britain’s recent commitments at the United Nations Human Rights Council to “work tirelessly for the promotion and protection of human rights, both domestically and abroad” are made a reality. We hope that Britain will stand firm on the European Convention on Human Rights and our Human Rights Act. Both of these were inspired by the UDHR and provide vital protection.

  1. Stephen Bowen - Director, British Institute of Human Rights
  2. Professor Francesca Klug - Chair, British Institute of Human Rights
  3. Asif Afridi - Co-Chair, English Regions Equality and Human Rights Network
  4. Kate Allen - Director, Amnesty International UK
  5. Amanda Ariss - Chief Executive, Equality and Diversity Forum
  6. Tom Baillie - Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People
  7. Rob Berkeley - Director, Runnymede Trust
  8. Adrian Berry - Chair, Immigration Law Practitioners' Association
  9. Keith Best - Chief Executive Officer, Freedom From Torture
  10. Julie Bishop - Director, Law Centres Network
  11. Carol Boys - Chief Executive, Down's Syndrome Association
  12. Zrinka Bralo - Executive Director, Migrant and Refugee Communities Forum
  13. Paul Breckell - Chief Executive, Action on Hearing Loss
  14. Susan Bryant - Director, Rights Watch UK
  15. Linda Burnip - Co-Founder, Disabled People Against Cuts
  16. Jabeer Butt - Deputy Chief Executive, Race Equality Foundation
  17. Annie Campbell - Director, Women's Aid Federation Northern Ireland
  18. Neil Campbell - CEO, Alternative Futures Group
  19. Dr Peter Carter - Chief Executive & General Secretary, the Royal College of Nursing
  20. Rita Chadha - Chief Executive Officer, Refugee & Migrant Forum of East London
  21. Shami Chakrabarti - Director, Liberty
  22. Professor Sara Chandler - Chair of the Human Rights Committee, Law Society
  23. Ann Chivers - Chief Executive, BILD (British Institute of Learning Disabilities)
  24. Karen Chouhan - Chair, Equanomics
  25. Barbara Cohen - Chair Discrimination Law Association
  26. Andrew Copson - Chief Executive British Humanist Association
  27. Martin Coyle - Director, Trust Voice
  28. Sister Colette Cronin - Congregational Leader, Institute of Our Lady of Mercy Sisters of Mercy
  29. Frances Crook - Chief Executive, Howard League for Penal Reform
  30. Lynda Dearlove - Chief Executive, Officer women@thewell
  31. Helen Shaw and Deborah Coles - Co-Directors INQUEST
  32. Tom Doyle - Chief Executive, Yorkshire MESMAC Group of Services
  33. Holly Dustin - Director, End Violence Against Women (EVAW)
  34. Dr Mark Ellis - Executive Director International Bar Association
  35. Pat Elsmie - Director, Migrants' Rights Scotland
  36. Sir Stuart Etherington - Chief Executive Officer, National Council of Voluntary Organisations
  37. Ceri Goddard - Chief Executive Officer, Fawcett
  38. Paul Farmer - Chief Executive, Mind
  39. Gary Fitzgerald - Chief Executive, Action on Elder Abuse
  40. Don Flynn - Director, Migrants Rights Network
  41. Alison Gelder - Chief Executive, Housing Justice
  42. Penelope Gibbs - Director, Transform Justice
  43. Brian Gormally - Director, CAJ (Committee on the Administration of Justice)
  44. Carolina Gottardo - Director, Latin American Women's Rights Services
  45. Professor Martin Green - Chief Executive Officer, English Community Care Association
  46. Andy Gregg - Chief Executive, ROTA (Race on the Agenda)
  47. Rob Greig - Chief Executive, National Development Team for Inclusion
  48. Paula Hardy - Chief Executive, Welsh Women's Aid
  49. Richard Hawkes - Chief Executive, Scope
  50. Jeff Hawkins - Chief Executive, Age Connect Wales
  51. Vivienne Hayes - Chief Executive Officer, Women's Resource Centre
  52. Helena Herklots - Chief Executive, Carers UK
  53. Steve Hynes - Director, Legal Action Group (LAG)
  54. Deborah Jack - Chief Executive, NAT (National Aids Trust)
  55. Vaughan Jones - Chief Executive, Praxis
  56. Joyce Kallevik - National Director, Wish
  57. Des Kelly - Executive Director, National Care Forum
  58. Faiza Khan - Deputy Chief Executive, National Council for Voluntary Youth Services
  59. Abdul Khan - Chief Executive Officer, BECON
  60. Maia Kruger - Coordinator, Songololo Feet
  61. Ratna Lachman - Director, JUST West Yorkshire
  62. Shauneen Lambe - Director, Just for Kids Law
  63. Marai Larasi - Executive Director, Imkaan
  64. Annette Lawson - Chair, NAWO
  65. Annette Lawson - Chair, Judith Trust
  66. Shauna Leven - Director, Rene Cassin
  67. David Mepham - UK Director, Human Rights Watch
  68. Wayne Myslik - Chief Executive, Asylum Aid
  69. Polly Neate - Chief Executive Officer, Women's Aid
  70. Peter Newell - Coordinator, Children are unbeatable! Alliance
  71. Priscilla Nkwenti - Chief Executive BHA for Equality
  72. Kunle Olulode - Chief Executive Voice4Change England
  73. Naana Otoo-Oyortey - Executive Director, FORWARD
  74. Simon Parkinson - Director for External Relations & Communities Royal Mencap Society
  75. Kath Parson - Chief Executive, Older Peoples Advocacy Alliance
  76. Elizabeth Prochask - Founder, Birthrights
  77. Dr Dimitrina Petrova - Executive Director The Equal Rights Trust
  78. Dave Prentis - General Secretary, UNISON
  79. Habib Rahma - Chief Executive JCWI
  80. Mohammed Razaq - Executive Director West of Scotland Regional Equality Council Ltd
  81. Bridget Robb - Chief Executive Officer British Association of Social Workers
  82. Ewan Roberts - Manager Asylum Link
  83. Paul Roberts - Chief Executive Officer, LGBT Consortium
  84. Sarah Rochira - The Older People's Commissioner for Wales
  85. Revd Roberta Rominger - General Secretary The United Reformed Church
  86. Alexandra Runswick - Director Unlock Democracy
  87. Jago Russell - Chief Executive, Fair Trials International
  88. Eithne Rynne - Chief Executive Officer, London Voluntary Services Council
  89. Caroline Sagar - Chief Executive, n-compass NorthWest
  90. Natalie Samarasinghe - Executive Director, United Nations Association - UK
  91. Liz Sayce - Chief Executive Officer Disability Rights UK
  92. Emma Scott - Director Rights of Women
  93. Damien Short - Director Human Rights Consortium, University of London
  94. Hannana Siddiqui - Coordinator Southall Black Sisters
  95. Samantha Smethers - Chief Executive Grandparents Plus
  96. Carol Storer - Director Legal Aid Practitioners Group
  97. Robert Sutherland - Convener SCOLAG
  98. Andy Thornton - Chief Executive Citizenship Foundation
  99. Paola Uccellari - Director Children's Rights Alliance for England
  100. Aneeta Prem and Vineeta Thorhill - Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Freedom Charity
  101. Debbie Walker - Chief Executive Age UK East London
  102. Paul Ward - Acting Chief Executive Terrance Higgins Trust
  103. Phillip Watson - Chief Executive Manor Gardens Welfare Trust
  104. Chris Whitwell - Director Friends, Families and Travellers
  105. Maurice Wren - Chief Executive, Refugee Council
  106. Patrick Yu - Executive Director Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities
  107. Prof Katja Ziegler - Director, Centre for European Law and Internationalism