The RITES Committee

At the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR), we see the value of our Human Rights Act every day in our work with people accessing services, community and advocacy groups, and staff working in public services. We hear the stories of people whose lives have been changed in real and tangible ways – and we think it’s important that everyone else hears those stories, too.

Our RITES Committee (standing for real-life insights, tips, experiences and stories) is made up of experts by experience who have used our Human Rights Act to achieve change – for themselves, the people they work with or their loved ones.

From lived experience of caring for family members with complex needs to working in frontline public services, each of our experts brings a unique perspective of our Human Rights Act in practice. Their expertise will inform everything we do as we campaign to protect our Human Rights Act, and we will amplify their voices in our work with our four key groups: people, communities, public bodies, and policymakers.

The UK Government has attempted to present many of the changes in the Rights Removal Bill as legal technicalities and procedural nuances – but human rights are about much more than that. Ultimately, our Human Rights Act is about people, and about giving people the power to hold the Government to account. With our RITES Committee, we want to show how the Act has done just that as we work to keep that power in the hands – and the voices – of the people.

Our Members

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Hanna Gawron

Meet RITES Committee and Lived Experience Expert Hanna, who works with BIHR on NHS staff training.

Hanna Gawron

Meet RITES Committee and Lived Experience Expert Hanna, who works with BIHR on NHS staff training.

Fairuz Choudhury

Meet RITES Committee member Fairuz, who has extensive experience of working in Welfare Rights Advice, Legal pro bono work, Violence Against Women and Girls and Mental Health Advocacy services.

Fairuz Choudhury

Meet RITES Committee member Fairuz, who has extensive experience of working in Welfare Rights Advice, Legal pro bono work, Violence Against Women and Girls and Mental Health Advocacy services.

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Charli Clement

Meet RITES Committee member Charli, who works with BIHR as a Lived Experience Expert as well as the NHS and other third sector organisations.

Charli Clement

Meet RITES Committee member Charli, who works with BIHR as a Lived Experience Expert as well as the NHS and other third sector organisations.

Catriona Moore

Meet RITES Committee member Catriona, who is Policy Manager at IPSEA and the parent of a disabled teenager with complex needs.

Catriona Moore

Meet RITES Committee member Catriona, who is Policy Manager at IPSEA and the parent of a disabled teenager with complex needs.

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Lucy Hinksman

Meet RITES Committee member Lucy, who is a citizen champion in community and engagement at Pembrokeshire People First.

Lucy Hinksman

Meet RITES Committee member Lucy, who is a citizen champion in community and engagement at Pembrokeshire People First.

Ian Penfold

Meet RITES Committee member Ian, a carer from Hampshire who has had a long career in a variety of technical roles in the private and public sector.

Ian Penfold

Meet RITES Committee member Ian, a carer from Hampshire who has had a long career in a variety of technical roles in the private and public sector.

Kirsten Peebles

Meet RITES Committee member Kirsten, a single parent of an autistic son who, from the ages of 14-18, was held in mental health hospitals.

Kirsten Peebles

Meet RITES Committee member Kirsten, a single parent of an autistic son who, from the ages of 14-18, was held in mental health hospitals.

Daisy Long

Meet RITES Committee member Daisy, a qualified social worker by background, who has spent a large part of her career working within integrated health and social care environments.

Daisy Long

Meet RITES Committee member Daisy, a qualified social worker by background, who has spent a large part of her career working within integrated health and social care environments.

Ernest Ulaya

Meet RITES Committee member Ernest, a freelance researcher and administrator for Community Hosting and Support Ltd, a CIC providing support and accommodation to young vulnerable children.

Ernest Ulaya

Meet RITES Committee member Ernest, a freelance researcher and administrator for Community Hosting and Support Ltd, a CIC providing support and accommodation to young vulnerable children.

Legislative Scrutiny: Bill of Rights Bill

The RITES Committee also submitted written evidence to the JCHR's call for evidence for Legislative Scrutiny: Bill of Rights Bill. The submission focused on amplifying the often unheard voice of public officials.

Read the submission

Briefing to the Joint Committee on Human Rights

On 18 July 2022, we sent a briefing to the Joint Committee on Human Rights as part of their inquiry into the Rights Removal Bill. Our RITES experts contributed to the briefing, sharing their insights into the ways the proposed changes put all our human rights at risk.

Read the briefing

One Year of the RITES Committee

On Tuesday 27th June 2023, we hosted a Parliamentary event to celebrate one year of the RITES Committee. We invited MPs, peers and civil society groups to hear from experts on why the Human Rights Act matters in everyday life.

Read the event recap

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Visitation Consultation

The RITES Committee worked with us on co-producing a response to the Department for Health & Social Care's consultation on visitation rights in hospitals, care homes and hospices.

Read the response

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Easy Read: The ECHR

RITES Committee members co-produced an Easy Read explainer all about the European Convention on Human Rights to help everyone stay informed about where it comes from and how it works.

All About the European Convention on Human Rights

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Universality blog

Read this blog for a conversation with RITES Committee about the important principle of universality and why human rights are for everybody.

Read the blog

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Social Media Pack

Spread the word about human rights with our social media pack, designed to help individuals and organisations start conversations online.

Get the pack

Giving evidence to the UN

Hear what RITES members told the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the UK's implementation of international human rights laws.

Read about the session

Co-Production & a Human Rights-Based Approach

Read a write-up and watch clips from Experts speaking at our online event celebrating two years of the RITES Committee.

Catch up on the event

Our Human Rights Act & the Cost-of-Living Crisis

With the UK facing a cost-of-living crisis, it’s more important than ever that people know and claim their human rights and those in positions of public power are held accountable.

In this series, the RITES Committee explain how our Human Rights Act can and has been used as a tool for advocacy and how tampering with it would remove one of the most powerful mechanisms to challenge harmful economic policies on a national and local level.

Introduction