Human Rights
The real Cameron human rights agenda.
Cameron seeks to damage human rights.
Martin Luther King once said that “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
These words came to mind when I read about the speech David Cameron is due to make on the role of the European Court of Human Rights. The prime minister will say the court should not “undermine its own reputation by going over national decisions where it does not need to”. He will urge it to focus on “the most serious violations of human rights” and “not act as a small claims court”.
Cameron is seizing the convenient moment of the UK presidency of the Council of Europe and in his speech to its Parliamentary Assembly on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Cameron will promise to use the remaining three months of its term to press for change.
Why? Well the real answer is not to speed up democratic processes or to ensure that the reputation of the court is not damaged by what are considered by some national governments to be legalistic or poor decisions. The real reason for Cameron acting at this time is pure and simple political expediency.
The UK has clashed with the European court over a number of issues, including the deportation of criminals or suspected criminals. Westminster is also embroiled in an on-going row with the court over voting rights for prisoners, and has refused to comply with a ruling which says inmates should be able to take part in elections.
The language is passionate but the intention is simple.
“For the sake of the 800 million people the court serves, we need to reform it so that it is true to its original purpose.
“Already 47 members are agreed on this, and great work has been done. Now we would like to use our chairmanship to help progress that work.
Yet Cameron has led a long misguided Tory campaign to remove Britain from the European Convention and create a British Bill of Rights. This blog has already given clear indication of where we as an organisation at Equal and Diverse stand on this matter.
Today’s attempts by Cameron are to play to the audience at home amongst whom he has engendered a suspicion if not a dislike for the EHRC. Ask the same individuals about dignity and human rights in care and in hospital and their message might be different. Ask them if they would want to have the freedom to criticise Government and move freely in their cities and the answer would be different. Ask them should prisoners be allowed to vote and their answer is predictable.
Ahead of Mr Cameron’s speech, the court’s top judge, Sir Nicolas Bratza QC, said “the criticism relating to interference” in UK affairs was “simply not borne out by the facts”.
“It is disappointing to hear senior British politicians lending their voices to criticisms more frequently heard in the popular press, often based on a misunderstanding of the court’s role and history, and of the legal issues at stake,” he wrote in the Independent newspaper.
So beware of foxes when they start to talk – the lie is in a long diatribe from Cameron and others against human rights simpliciter not just against the processes of a court which comparatively few British cases ever reach. Convenience should never be the occasion for changing what is fundamental.
Dr Donald Macaskill
Source: BBC News
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See also:
Human rights at the heart of older people care
UK Bill of Rights rejected by Scottish body.
When the going gets tough attack human rights.
