Weekly Human Rights News: 20/09/24

This week’s human rights news includes our co-production and human rights event and a new case from the European Court of Human Rights on blood transfusions.

On Wednesday 18^th September, BIHR and the RITES Committee hosted an online event to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the Committee. Originally formed in response to the now-scrapped Rights Removal Bill, the RITES Committee is made up of Lived Experience Experts who have used our Human Rights Act to achieve change – for themselves, the people they work with or their loved ones. Their expertise informs BIHR’s policy and programme work, with members working with BIHR on a range of projects from public information videos on human rights and the cost-of-living crisis to giving evidence to the United Nations’ Human Rights Council.

Wednesday’s event was all about centring lived experience voices as part of a human rights-based approach, with Committee members and BIHR staff sharing what we’ve learned about co-production through our work together and giving examples of some of the pieces we’ve co-produced. authentic co-production and insights into how co-production can support a culture of respect for human rights, with the event including a panel section that offered audience members the chance to ask questions.

We finished the event by launching our Human Rights Action Plan, co-produced by BIHR and the RITES Committee. This is a commitment we’re asking everybody to make to support a culture of respect for human rights across the UK. The Action Plan sets out some of the steps you can take whether as an individual, community member, public body worker or policymaker.

Stay tuned for a write-up and clips from the event soon and check out the Action Plan on our website now.

On Thursday 19^th September, our Senior Human Rights Officer Annie hosted a virtual catch up for the four community groups taking part in this year’s programme to co-design a human rights support solution with BIHR. Back in July, the four groups met up in Birmingham to begin planning what kind of support solution they wanted to make with us. Since then, the groups have been working alongside BIHR staff to plan ideas, draft content and gather stories and examples to bring human rights to life in the tailored resource they are creating to support their advocacy work. The meeting this week offered the groups a chance to share with each other what they are creating, where they are at in the development process (with BIHR visits to each community group coming soon!), and how they might share the finished resources in a few months’ time.

We also spoke to the groups about BIHR’s plans for this year’s Human Rights Day which is marked every year on 10th December. It’s safe to say everyone is excited for what’s to come – watch this space!

The ECtHR ruled that Spanish authorities breached a woman's human rights by giving her blood transfusions against her wishes

Rosa is a Jehovah’s Witness who lives in Spain. As part of her belief system, she is opposed to blood transfusions. She had to undergo surgery and filled out an advanced directive and a lasting power of attorney, both stating that she did not want a blood transfusion even if her life was in danger.

However, when she began haemorrhaging after surgery, Rosa was transferred to a different hospital. The doctors there were told she was in a serious condition but had refused a blood transfusion. The doctors at the new hospital asked a judge on call what to do when she arrived and the judge, without knowing Rosa's exact wishes, asked a forensic doctor for their opinion and then authorised any treatment needed to save Rosa's life, including a blood transfusion.

Rosa was not informed of this, despite her being "conscious, orientated and cooperative". She found out the day after the transfusions what had happened.

Rosa brought a case to the European Court of Human Rights, who considered her Article 8 right to private life taken together with her Article 9 right to freedom of belief and said Rosa's human rights had been breached.

Read the press release