London, June 22, 2022 (AFP) – The British government on Wednesday introduced a bill in parliament that would allow it to override some of the rules of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which blocked the deportation of migrants to Rwanda last week.
This jurisdiction of the Council of Europe – based in Strasbourg and independent of the EU – has opposed controversial deportations of migrants and asylum seekers who arrived in the UK illegally.
His decision prevented a last-minute departure of a specially chartered flight on June 14.
The ECtHR is due to conduct a detailed review of the legality of the British judiciary, which is expected to take place in July.
Following the decision, Boris Johnson’s administration reinforced its intention to reform British human rights law with a new Bill of Rights tabled this Wednesday.
“This Bill of Rights will strengthen our British heritage of independence, while injecting a healthy dose of common sense into the system,” said Justice Minister Dominic Raab.
There is no date yet for the debate on the text, which would replace the Human Rights Act to incorporate the European Convention on Human Rights into British law.
Raab said the new charter affirms “the supremacy of the British Supreme Court” and that “UK courts are not obliged to follow the Strasbourg jurisprudence”.
Despite demands from some conservatives, the minister promised that the country would be at the European Convention on Human Rights – James Fawcett, Boris Johnson’s grandfather – in the early 1950s.
If approved, the new law would help deport foreigners convicted by courts and limit the spread of the right to family life over public safety.
“These reforms will strengthen freedom of expression, allow extradition of foreign criminals and better protect citizens,” Raab said.
The bill has been criticized by the main opposition Labor Party and NGOs.
“The Human Rights Act guarantees millions of people access to justice, protects victims of wrongdoing and guarantees the care our families need,” said Labour’s Steve Reid. He denounced the new declaration as “undermining these rights”.
Amnesty International warned that this was a “major setback”.
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