Weekly Human Rights News: 27/09/24

This week’s human rights news include an Easy Read version of our brand new Human Rights Act Plan, progress on our UK Communities Programme, and a judgment from the European Court of Human Rights on an investigation into the conduct of a former UK Member of Parliament. 

Last week, we launched our Human Rights Action Plan which was co-produced with our RITES Committee and which we invite people across the UK to sign up to. The Action Plan sets out tangible steps we can all take every day to support a culture of respect for human rights.

We're pleased to now be able to share the Easy Read version of the Action Plan, co-produced with RITES Committee member and Easy Read Champion Lucy. Lucy talked about her experience working with BIHR on the Easy Read version at our online event last week, saying that she finds co-production work “empowering and productive.”  

After meeting up with the community groups partnering with BIHR on our programme to co-design a human rights support solution with us last week, we have been working with them to put together first drafts and have shared a couple of them with the organisations this week. 

The Northern Ireland Refugees and Asylum Seekers Women Association (Bomoko NI) want to create a pocket-sized leaflet with key information about human rights and how this relates to stays in temporary accommodation. The short guide contains stories based on real situations experienced by women supported by Bomoko NI, and we will be visiting the organisation next month to test whether it works for what they need. 

The Parent and Carer Alliance told us they needed a detailed guide for parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities, focusing on the right to private and family life, home and correspondence (Article 8 of the Human Rights Act). We have shared the text for the guide as well as some sample designs and accompanying videos this week for their team to review and share their thoughts with us. 

The drafts for resources with African Women Empowerment Forum and Cwm Taf People First are also well underway! 

The European Court of Human Rights said an investigation into a former MP’s conduct didn’t breach human rights 

Owen Paterson was a Member of Parliament who was investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards after it was reported that he was lobbying (trying to persuade other Parliamentarians to support something) on behalf of two companies who were paying him as a Consultant. He was found to have breached the Parliamentary Code of Conduct and it was recommended that he was suspended, but by that time he had already resigned.  
 
Owen took a case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), arguing that the investigation was not fair and the public findings had damaged his good reputation, breaching his right to private life (Article 8 of the Human Rights Act).  However, the ECtHR said that States have a wide margin of appreciation when it comes to how their Parliament functions and the investigation fell within this. It also said the Commissioner was acting within their powers, there were adequate safeguards in place, and there was a legitimate interest in the public hearing the findings. It therefore said his case was manifestly ill-founded (could not be heard by the ECtHR because there is no way it could establish a breach of human rights under the Convention). 

Read the judgment 

The High Court awards damages for abuse at Brook House immigration detention centre 

In September 2023, the report of a public inquiry was published, focusing on the mistreatment of people detained at Brook House, an immigration removal centre in West Sussex. This found evidence of a number of actions (or lack of action)  which they believed amounted to a breach of the right to be free from inhuman and degrading treatment (Article 3 of the Human Rights Act). 

Since then, a legal case was pursued against the UK Government’s Home Office by an individual who was detained at Brook House and took part and gave evidence in the inquiry. The High Court found that there had been a breach of the right to be free from inhuman and degrading treatment, identifying aspects of the detention which led to this including prison-like conditions, lack of privacy when using toilet facilities, and abusive language used by staff. The claimant was awarded £26,000 in damages for the breach of this right, as well as other damages for the harm suffered. 

Read the judgment