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17 July 2015 / Alec Samuels
Issue: 7661 / Categories: Features , Human rights
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Back to the future

Alec Samuels puts the case for the reform of European human rights law

The English legal system served us fairly well before the advent of European human rights. European human rights law has created a vast body of jurisprudence, an extra tier in litigation, and has produced a number of problems and anomalies and even abuses.

National security

Nothing can be more important in national life than public safety and national security. Is it not for the UK Parliament to determine the degree of infringement of personal liberty, eg control orders against suspected terrorists, telephone tapping, retention of criminal records, with the appropriate judicial safeguards?

Deportation

A convicted foreign national was ordered to be deported. Anticipating conviction and deportation he married a UK citizen and pleaded family hardship (Art 8). A criminal conviction often inflicts hardship upon the family, a regrettable consequence.

Sex offender

A foreign national was convicted of sexual offences and ordered to be deported. Because sexual offences were not well regarded in his own state he pleaded threat to life

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Katten Muchin Rosenman—Charlotte Hill

Katten Muchin Rosenman—Charlotte Hill

Katten strengthens financial markets and funds group in London

Hugh James—Keith Cundall & Lee Hart

Hugh James—Keith Cundall & Lee Hart

Hugh James expands national Serious Injury team with two new Partners

HFW—Rémi Ducloyer

HFW—Rémi Ducloyer

HFW continues Paris office growth with public law Partner hire

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A little-noticed provision of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 has fundamentally expanded corporate criminal liability
Artificial intelligence is transforming legal practice, but careless reliance on it is creating growing professional risks
The law offers cohabiting couples surprisingly greater protection after one partner dies than when they separate during life
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