Quakers oppose human rights changes
‘The proposed reforms to the Human Rights Act sit alongside several Bills currently going through Parliament that are eroding the framework of human rights in the UK.’
Plans to reform the Human Rights Act will create two classes of humans – one with protected rights and another whose rights could be violated, Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) has told the government.
The government launched a consultation on proposals to reform the Human Rights Act and replace it with a Bill of Rights late last year. The proposals follow the Independent Human Rights Act Review (IHRAR) which the government established in December 2020. However, many commentators have noted that the proposals fail to take into account the IHRAR findings.
Paul Parker, recording clerk of BYM, said: ‘The proposed reforms to the Human Rights Act sit alongside several Bills currently going through Parliament that are eroding the framework of human rights in the UK.’
In its response, BYM says the changes would remove the universality of human rights and introduce inequalities in access to justice. It says that introducing a reward-based approach to human rights would create two classes of human: those entitled to protection of their rights and those who can have their rights violated because they are seen to have committed wrongdoing. Quakers argue this proposal, alongside others, will result in unequal access to justice and undermine migrant rights: ‘There are many reasons people are led to crime, not least because of systemic factors we are all complicit in, such as structural racism, the hostile environment and unequal rights to employment and basic living conditions in the UK. The consultation fails to address the role of these factors.’
