Bill of Rights Bill - Heavy on the Bill, Light on the Rights
Whenever a significant constitutional document has been drawn up to bestow rights upon individuals in the past it has been at a time of great historical upheaval. Magna Carta was signed by King John to keep rebel barons off his back, the European Convention on Human Rights was established in the wake of World War II. Never has such a document been drafted because politicians don’t like certain judicial decisions or because they have had their feelings hurt by the prospect of ‘woke culture’…until today.
The confusingly named (and confusingly drafted) Bill of Rights Bill has now seen the light of day and legal commentators will be poring over it although it is hard to know how much of a priority it will really be for this government. After all, inflation is sky-rocketing and there is labour unrest so this odd Bill that is almost seen as a bit of a joke will surely be at the bottom of the pile for Parliamentary business.
Of course this lack of seriousness does not mean that we should underestimate the threat that this Bill poses. It is also the only ‘rights document’ that actively seeks to remove the protections that individuals currently enjoy.
On the surface it might look as if the Bill does not do a lot. Clause 2 sets out the rights but they are simply the rights that are already found in the Convention. Where the Bill does its damage is in the attack it makes on the role of the European Court of Human Rights.