UK Bill of Rights

The UK Government has proposed a new Bill of Rights to replace the Human Rights Act 1998 — the law that currently gives people in Britain the ability to challenge public authorities when their human rights are breached.

The Human Rights Act is based on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), an international treaty the UK helped create after World War II.  It’s not part of the EU, and the UK is still a signatory to it — for now.

But under this new proposal, the Government plans to move away from the ECHR and instead create a homegrown, British legal framework.  The idea is to give more power to Parliament and UK courts, and reduce the influence of European judges in Strasbourg.

The stated aim is to prevent what some ministers call the “abuse” of human rights laws — especially in cases involving criminals or deportations.  However, critics argue it risks watering down key protections, limiting how ordinary people hold the state to account.

In short, the UK Bill of Rights is more than just a legal change — it’s a major shift in how the country defines and defends its citizens’ freedoms.