header-logo header-logo

22 June 2012 / Roger Smith
Issue: 7519 / Categories: Opinion , Human rights
printer mail-detail

The Europe effect

Roger Smith rounds up recent human rights developments

Some may hate it, but Europe (through both the Council of Europe and the EU) plays an increasing role in policy-making both here and elsewhere. Increased travel, more expatriate residence and more international transactions contribute to the growing importance of the European dimension to issues once able to be seen as clearly domestic or obviously foreign.

May: the overt attack

Theresa May continued her vendetta against judicial decisions in immigration cases by announcing that the House of Commons would pass a resolution declaring how it thought Art 8 should be interpreted.

May comments were more than somewhat Delphic: “[The right to family life] is not an absolute right…In the interests of the economy, or controlling migration or public order, those sort of issues, the state has a right to qualify the right to a family life.” She plans a Parliamentary vote on government policy which she expects the judges to “follow and take into account”. She had a threat: “If they don’t we will have

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Partner joinscorporate and finance practice in British Virgin Islands

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Firm strengthens children department with adoption and surrogacy expert

Penningtons Manches Cooper—Graham Green

Penningtons Manches Cooper—Graham Green

Media and technology expert joins employment team as partner in Cambridge

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
The winners of the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2026 have now been announced, marking another outstanding celebration of excellence, innovation, and impact across the legal profession
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
back-to-top-scroll