Thank you for contacting me about the recent Queen's speech and fundamental rights.
The new Bill of Rights will reflect the government's commitment to liberty under the rule of law - a core conservative value.
A new Bill of Rights marks the next step in the development of the UK’s tradition of upholding human rights, and is informed by the recent Independent Human Rights Act Review. I am also assured that the Government remains committed to both the European Convention on Human Rights and the UK's proud tradition of human rights leadership abroad.
As you will appreciate, some rights in the European Convention are "qualified" recognising explicitly the need to respect the rights of others and the broader needs of society. Since 2000, human rights claims have been brought by many people who have themselves shown a flagrant disregard for the rights of others. A Bill of Rights could require the courts to give greater consideration to the behaviour of claimants and the wider public interest when interpreting and balancing qualified rights. The recent consultation contains a plethora of examples that are indicative of the unfortunate perception that it is worth making a human rights claim, even on flimsy grounds. Although many claims are unsuccessful, the fact that they can be brought, at public expense, serves to undermine confidence both in the Human Rights Act and the value of upholding human rights more generally, and that is why I believe we must strike the proper balance of rights and responsibilities.
The Government has committed to amend, replace, or repeal all retained EU law that is not right for the UK and to begin a new series of reforms to the legislation we inherited on EU exit. This process will ensure all courts in this country will have the full ability to depart from EU case law and finalise the process of restoring Parliament and our courts to their proper constitutional positions. It is important to note that much of this EU legislation was agreed as a messy compromise between 28 different EU member states and did not always reflect the UK’s own priorities or objectives. Much of this law was also imposed and changed with minimal parliamentary scrutiny in the past. The Brexit Freedoms Bill forms part of a wider plan to do things differently, in ways that work better for this country, and promote growth, productivity, and prosperity.
Thank you again for contacting me.
