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Cameron: We need a UK Bill of Rights
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor8 Dec 2008
DAVID CAMERON demanded a “British Bill of Rights” today after the Government admitted the Human Rights Act was preventing terror suspects from being deported.
The Tory leader stepped up his attack on the Labour legislation in the wake of remarks by Justice Secretary Jack Straw that “nervous judges” were reluctant to breach the rights of
Islamic extremists.
In a speech to mark the 60th anniversary of the UN's Declaration of Human Rights, Mr Cameron said that Labour had overseen legislation which lacked “proportion and common sense”.
The Human Rights Act, introduced by Mr Straw in 1998, had led to police being unable to “name and shame” even the most wanted criminals on posters.
Mr Cameron said that the Act had also failed to protect fundamental civil liberties such as trial by jury and detention without charge.
“I believe that we now need a home-grown British Bill of Rights,” he said. “A country that has, as we do, a proud tradition of providing a safe haven for those fleeing persecution also has every justification in distinguishing between granting permission for someone wholly innocent to remain on the grounds of the right to family life, and granting such permission to someone who has engaged in violent crime,” he said.
Mr Cameron said that he wanted to restore the supremacy of Westminster over laws that are seen as being imposed from Europe.
His speech came after Mr Straw today blamed “nervous” judges for refusing to deport suspected terrorists as he signalled moves to overhaul the Human Rights Act.
Mr Straw plans to bring forward next month a Green Paper to overhaul the Act, which he admitted was being used by Islamic extremists to avoid being kicked out of Britain.
He told the Daily Mail: “There is a sense it's a villain's charter or that it stops terrorists being deported or criminals being properly given publicity.
“I am greatly frustrated by some very few judgments that have thrown up these problems.”
Reader views (10)
As long as the U.K. remains an E.U. province, all of Cameron's talk in regard to the Bill of Rights is totally meaningless -- and he well knows it. 70% of all "U.K. laws" are E.U. federal laws that have been rubber-stamped by London, with only the remaining 30% being provincial laws originating with the U.K. Parliament. It's total hypocrisy and nonsense to talk of the U.K. Bill of Rights while not at the same time proposing that the U.K. pull out of the E.U. federal state and return to its former status of sovereign country.
- Phil Jones, London UK, 09/12/2008 09:55
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dear mr cameron it may have escaped your notice that we already have one namely the bill of rights act 1689.it is still law.part 12 states that all fines and forfeitures of persons before conviction are illegal and void,so the on the spot fines will no longer have to be paid.go read it and the magna carta.be amazed what power you have.somebody tell me i am wrong????
- Frank, stoke on trent uk, 09/12/2008 06:19
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We have a Bill of Rights Act 1689, and before that Magna Carta, which are there to protect us, but our politicians prefer to kow tow to the laws that spew forth from Brussels!
- Wen, Oxfordshire, England, 08/12/2008 20:05
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Err, no Mr Cameron. What Britain needs is
a written constitution incorporating all the provisions of the 1689 Bill of Rights, and a constitutional court to enforce it.
By all means add extra rights to the 1689 Bill, but it is the core of our constitution and has served the country well for over 350 years.
If enacted fully, it would protect us all from the tyrany of the police state.
- Keith Ducain, Dagenham, UK, 08/12/2008 18:27
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Typical of this government. Mess things up and then blame someone else - not our fault says Jack Straw blame those nervous judges!! Everyone except this shower knew that the Human Rights Act was flawed legislation. Did they listen - nanny knows best!!
- Malcolm, London, 08/12/2008 13:42
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Why don't Nu-Lying-Labour just blame Mrs Thatcher as normal? You have no credibility left Mr Gutless Straw just resign with what little dignity you have left. Ps Who's giving out the orders at Mosat these days?
- Mike,, London, 08/12/2008 13:27
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Funny Labour enacted a mountain of bizarre political correct policies and now they are admitting they do not work and are trying to reverse them. This shows that in 11 years they have not moved forward with this nation, only backwards.
- Brandon Thomas, London UK, 08/12/2008 13:25
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I suppose the man of straw's "Loyalty to Country" is another way of saying it will be a criminal offence to criticize him or the Government.
- Neil, Gloucestershire, England., 08/12/2008 12:46
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Labour signed up to this farce of a Law, did they not read it first? The 'uman Rights Act is the worse piece of legislation in modern history.
- Frank, Home Counties, England, 08/12/2008 12:26
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I have never seen or heard of a nervous judge. They are usually supremely confident of their legal knowledge and are willing and able to use it.
Any daft decisions they appear to make are usually due to poorly written law.
Fancy changing a few laws now Mr Straw, now that you have one eye on the next election?
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, 08/12/2008 10:24
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