What it is not
A litigious collection of individuals and interest groups who see rights as a free good and the Human Rights Act primarily as a means of enforcing the rights of individuals against the state, without regard to the interest of other individuals and/or the wider community..
What it is
A modern society enriched by different cultures and faiths, given unity by a shared understanding of what is fundamentally right and wrong. A culture where people understand that rights and duties are two sides of the same coin, recognise the duties citizens owe to each other and the wider community, and are willing to fulfill them. Public authorities that understand that the Human Rights Act defines what the basic rights are and sometimes requires us to be robust about an individual's rights if we are to maintain the rights of others. And a public service underpinned for the first time by a clear, common statement of rights and responsibilities that forms the anchor for all policy making and service delivery.
Key Ideas
| A common set of values unifies a diverse society | Modern Britain is made up of many different races, cultures and faiths. The Human Rights Act gives us a common value structure that everyone in the UK can sign up to. It is inclusive because it is neutral and secular - not belonging to any one particular religion or political creed, but based on our common humanity. |
| Rights flow from duties | The ECHR accompanies the individual rights with detailed statements of the limitations that can be placed on those rights. These limitations reflect the rights of others and of the wider community. They amount to a statement of obligations to respect the rights of others because they flow directly from what we must do to secure the rights and to maintain a society based on modern, pluralistic democratic values. So rights and duties go together - and the human rights culture is one of rights and responsibilities. |
| Anchor for policy making and service delivery | The Human Rights Act provides for the first time a clear definition of fundamental rights in the UK. It gives a clear bottom line for public authorities, defining precisely what is (and is not) a basic human right. All public authorities will be under a statutory obligation to use this baseline as the starting point for their public service work. All legislation must be read compatibly, if possible. And all rights-based claims must measure up against the Human Rights Act yardstick - if they are to be treated in that way. |