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05 May 2023 / Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC
Issue: 8023 / Categories: Opinion , Human rights , Rule of law
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Raab’s resignation: hope for human rights?

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Does Dominic Raab’s departure finally spell the end for the Bill of Rights Bill? Geoffrey Bindman KC urges the government to undo the lurking threat to human rights protection

The resignation of Dominic Raab as secretary of state for justice on Friday 21 April will not be regretted by those of us who oppose the policies he and his government have been pursuing to weaken the rule of law and the protection of human rights. These policies, foreshadowed in the Conservative party 2019 election manifesto, include the repeal of the Human Rights Act 1998, limiting the obligation of the UK to comply with the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and undermining the independence of the judiciary by allowing the executive greater power over judicial appointments (see my earlier articles: ‘Raab & human rights: moving in the wrong direction?’, 172 NLJ 7963, p7, and ‘Law & politics: a two-pronged attack?’ 172 NLJ 8005, p6).

Uncertain futures

The Bill of Rights Bill

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Harneys—Maggie Kwok & George Weston

Harneys—Maggie Kwok & George Weston

Harneys senior leadership appointments

Freeths—Keith Browne & Jim Jordan

Freeths—Keith Browne & Jim Jordan

Freeths strengthens London Construction and Engineering practice with two strategic senior hires

Anthony Collins—Laura Moss

Anthony Collins—Laura Moss

Anthony Collins announces strategic hire to deepen skills base in the social business sector

NEWS
More than 100 teams from the legal and financial services sectors competed in five sports at the 51st Law Society RFC Festival of Sport earlier this month
Part-time status need only be an effective cause of less favourable treatment, rather than the sole cause, the Supreme Court has held in Augustine v Data Cars
Britain’s new acknowledgement that Israel’s occupation is unlawful, and accompanying settlement-goods ban and sanctions, is significant but overdue, argue Danny Friedman KC and Victor Kattan in NLJ this week
New planning fee rises, wider trade union access rights and a service-by-email trap feature in Stephen Gold’s latest Civil Way
Existing defamation law can respond to AI ‘hallucinations’, but allocating responsibility will prove harder where outputs reach users without human intervention
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