Quakers oppose repeal of Human Rights Act
'‘If passed, this bill would undermine all our human rights. It will affect everyone, but particularly the most vulnerable.'
Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) has said that it will oppose new legislation to repeal the current Human Rights Act – on the grounds that it would weaken human rights for everyone in the UK.
The announcement came last week after the government published new legislation on 22 June aiming to scrap the act and replace it with weaker measures. The new bill will dilute human rights protections and make it harder to challenge abuses.
Paul Parker, recording clerk of BYM, said: ‘If passed, this bill would undermine all our human rights. It will affect everyone, but particularly the most vulnerable. It is part of a disturbing trend of the government reducing its own accountability. We need to protect the Human Rights Act and turn the tide in a more democratic direction.’
BYM joined over 150 organisations in co-signing a letter calling for detailed parliamentary scrutiny of the legislation that is expected to replace the act.
The letter, coordinated by the human rights group Liberty, was sent to justice secretary Dominic Rabb saying the bill of rights should be subjected to ‘robust consideration’. It says the proposals are of ‘supreme constitutional significance and have the potential to impact on the rights of individuals for many years to come’.
The move follows comments from justice minister James Cartlidge who indicated a week before that the government did not intend to submit the bill of rights for pre-legislative scrutiny.
Politicians across parliament – including some Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Scottish National MPs – expressed concern over the decision.
Writing on the Quakers in Britain website, BYM said that the Human Rights Act – which was introduced in 1998 – has ‘enabled hundreds of people to challenge decisions that violate their rights in a range of settings’.
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