You and human rights

Human rights legislation serves as a safeguard against government overreach, protecting ordinary citizens like you and me.

In order to ensure that citizens are protected from their own governments, the final arbiter of human rights should be the international court in Strasbourg, which upholds the European Convention on Human Rights.

Over the years, successive Tory governments have threatened to eliminate the Human Rights Act, which is based on the European Convention on Human Rights.

Hidden on page 48 of the 2019 Conservatives manifesto is a promise to "update" the 1998 Human Rights Act, with the intention of replacing it with a diluted 'Bill of Rights'.

Some hard-right Tories, including recently sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman, go even further and advocate for the UK to withdraw from the European Convention entirely, allowing for the transfer of asylum seekers and refugees to countries like Rwanda.

However, when we undermine the human rights of any individual, we ultimately weaken those rights for everyone, including ourselves.

There is a misconception that human rights only apply to foreigners, a notion perpetuated by certain leading Tories and sections of the right-wing press.

I encourage you to watch the video I have produced to see how British citizens have directly benefited from our human rights protections.

The Human Rights Act has been instrumental in aiding British citizens in various ways, such as:

The Human Rights Act led to a change in UK law, preventing rape victims from being cross-examined by their attackers.

Human rights laws have also helped patients gain access to life-saving medications and held hospitals accountable for failures in mental health care that have resulted in suicides.

Furthermore, human rights laws have ensured that British soldiers are properly equipped while on active duty abroad, recognizing that failing to do so would be a violation of their human rights.

These examples are just a glimpse into the numerous cases where British individuals have relied on the Human Rights Act to protect them from governmental failures or abuses of power.

The essence of human rights lies in the notion that every human being, regardless of background or circumstances, deserves equal rights and protections. This extends to foreigners, criminals, and even those we may not personally like.

For this reason, human rights must be upheld on an international and universal level, ensuring that all individuals are shielded from potential abuses by their own governments.

If the international European Convention on Human Rights were to be replaced with a watered-down national Bill of Rights, with no avenue for appeal to an international court, who would defend us against our own government?

We must all raise our voices against any dilution of human rights by the government. After all, human rights are for every single human being.

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By: Jon Danzig
Title: You and human rights
Sourced From: eu-rope.ideasoneurope.eu/2023/11/18/you-and-human-rights/
Published Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2023 15:07:41 +0000