Dear John,

This week the Government announced a “review” of our Human Rights Act. This may sound innocuous enough, but it is part of a concerted attack on our ability to stand up to power.

For years, ordinary people have been able to enforce their rights and challenge governments and public bodies when they get it wrong. But the plans announced this week and over the past six months are focused on limiting our ability to do this. 

Today, on Human Rights Day, we are demanding the laws and processes that enable us to hold the powerful to account are protected for the good of our democracy. 

Our laws and legal processes help people stand up to power and challenge governments and public authorities when they get it wrong. 

That means legal processes like ‘judicial review’, which gives ordinary people the ability to challenge governments and public bodies in court if they don’t uphold their duties. For instance, it’s thanks to a judicial review case that the Ministry of Defence now owes soldiers a duty of care no matter where in the world they are stationed. 

And it also means laws like the Human Rights Act. Where rights are breached, every one of us can use the Human Rights Act to seek justice in British courts. It is the Human Rights Act that brings our rights to life. 

But the Government is trying to weaken these important mechanisms. As well as the panel which will look at changing how our Human Rights Act functions, a separate board is expected to report back soon on how judicial review could be limited. 

Being able to challenge governments and other public bodies is at the heart of our democracy. Restricting access to justice undermines values we all hold dear – fairness, accountability and the rule of law. 

And if we are unable to enforce our rights, they will become meaningless.

For society to be fair and just, we must strengthen – not limit – judicial review, and we must keep the Human Rights Act intact and accessible to all. 

Add your voice to this call today.

Thank you for your support.

Gracie Bradley

Interim Director

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