Peers say no to UK Bill of Rights

Peers have called on the government to think again on its proposal to introduce a UK Bill of Rights. A report by the House of Lords’ EU Justice Committee, published this week, says the government’s proposals will not significantly depart from the existing Human Rights Act and are likely to affirm in a Bill of Rights all the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights. The case for a Bill of Rights is therefore unclear, Peers say, but the exercise could damage the UK’s standing in the EU and Council of Europe and risk constitutional upheaval with devolved nations. Committee Chairman, Baroness Kennedy said: “We were not convinced that a Bill of Rights was necessary.”