This chapter examines the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) and discusses some of the important issues that arise from its use. It also provides an overview of relevant Articles in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The HRA 1998 is quite a short Act and its key parts are in a small number of sections. Perhaps the most important is that of s 6 which places an obligation on public authorities to act in a way compatible with the ECHR as well as s 7 which prescribes how it can be used to obtain a remedy in the courts. This chapter also links to the previous chapters in terms of discussing how the Act is interpreted.
Chapter
5. Human Rights Act 1998
Chapter
5. Human Rights Act 1998
Alisdair A. Gillespie and Siobhan Weare
This chapter examines the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) and discusses some of the important issues that arise from its use. It also provides an overview of relevant articles in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The HRA 1998 is quite a short Act and its key parts are in a small number of sections. Perhaps the most important is that of s 6 which places an obligation on public authorities to act in a way compatible with the ECHR; s 7 which prescribes how it can be used to obtain a remedy in the courts. This chapter also links to the previous chapters in terms of discussing how the Act is interpreted.
Chapter
18. Article 15: Derogation in time of war or other public emergency threatening the life of the nation
David Harris, Michael O’Boyle, Ed Bates, and Carla Buckley
This chapter discusses Article 15 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which enables a state to unilaterally derogate from some of its substantive Convention obligations in public emergencies threatening the life of the nation. The provision is therefore of great importance to the Convention’s general integrity and to the protection of human rights in situations where individuals may be especially vulnerable to the actions of the state in response to a public emergency.
Chapter
2. Admissibility of applications
David Harris, Michael O’Boyle, Ed Bates, Carla Buckley, and Paul Harvey
This chapter focuses on admissibility requirements. It discusses the general approach to admissibility; the application of admissibility requirements to individual and inter-state cases; the exhaustion of domestic remedies; the six-month rule; other grounds of inadmissibility; and the competence of the Court.
Chapter
12. Article 9: Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
David Harris, Michael O’Boyle, Ed Bates, Carla Buckley, and Peter Cumper
This chapter discusses Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which covers forms of both religious and non-religious belief. Few articles of the Convention have generated as much controversy as Article 9, from complaints about curbs on religious dress and displays of religious symbols to conflicts over faith at the workplace. In the past two decades, the Court has made important strides in formulating its own guidelines in relation to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
Chapter
5. Right to a Fair Trial: Article 6
Course-focused and comprehensive, the Textbook on series provide an accessible overview of the key areas on the law curriculum. This chapter discusses the right to a fair trial. It first examines the obligations imposed on States by Art. 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in relation to this right. It then focuses on a particular threat to a fair trial, in the form of the reporting of imminent or current legal proceedings, which may raise a risk that the outcome of those proceedings will be adversely affected. This is dealt with in English law primarily by the offence of contempt of court. The final section deals with a particular type of contempt related to the extent to which a court can compel a journalist to disclose his or her source.
Chapter
15. Article 12: The right to marry and to found a family
David Harris, Michael O’Boyle, Ed Bates, and Carla Buckley
This chapter discusses Article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to marry and to found a family, subject to a wide power on the part of states to regulate the exercise of the right. National law may regulate the form and capacity to marry, but procedural or substantive limitations must not remove the essence of the right. The right to marry does not extend to same-sex marriage and there is no right to divorce. However, transsexuals are guaranteed the right to marry persons of their now opposite sex.
Chapter
16. Article 13: The right to an effective national remedy
David Harris, Michael O’Boyle, Ed Bates, and Carla Buckley
This chapter discusses Article 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which requires the provision of effective national remedies for the breach of a Convention right. So, together with Article 35 (addressing, inter alia, exhaustion of domestic remedies), this Article is central to the cooperative relationship between the Convention and national legal systems.
Chapter
1. Introduction
Course-focused and comprehensive, the Textbook on series provide an accessible overview of the key areas on the law curriculum. This introductory chapter provides an overview of the main themes covered in the present volume. It first considers the political context in which the discussion of the law is to take place. It then discusses human rights and civil liberties; the meaning of rights; protection of rights and liberties within the UK Constitution; the international context of the monitoring of human rights; and the European Convention on Human Rights.
Chapter
20. Article 1, First Protocol: The right to property
David Harris, Michael O’Boyle, Ed Bates, and Carla Buckley
Recognition of a pecuniary right in national law or practice will give rise to a ‘possession’ under the Convention. Article 1 imposes upon states positive obligations to protect property, and negative obligations not to interfere with the right to property without justification. It provides for two types of interference: deprivation of property is justified only where it is in the public interest and in accordance with national law and the general principles of international law; control of use of property is justified only where it accords with national law and is in the general interest or to secure the payment of taxes or other contributions. Where interference doesn’t fall into one of these types it is regulated under the first sentence of Article 1. The standard in all cases requires a ‘fair balance’ be struck between the public interest and the burden of the interference on the person.
Chapter
21. Article 2, First Protocol: The right to education
David Harris, Michael O’Boyle, Ed Bates, and Carla Buckley
This chapter discusses Article 2 of the First Protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the right to education. Article 2 extends to all forms of education provided or permitted by the state–primary, secondary, and higher education, as well as to private schools and universities. The right to education consists of a variety of rights and freedoms for children and parents. These mostly belong to the pupil or student, but parents do have certain rights of their own under Article 2 about the way in which their child is educated.
Chapter
22. Article 3, First Protocol: The right to free elections
David Harris, Michael O’Boyle, Ed Bates, Carla Buckley, and Heather Green
This chapter discusses Article 3 of the First Protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights, which imposes a positive obligation on states to secure free elections. The Court has read into this text individual rights to vote and to stand for election, reversing its technique of deriving positive obligations from the expressly articulated guarantees of individual rights contained in other Articles of the Convention. The right of prisoners to vote is included.
Chapter
23. The fourth, sixth, seventh, and thirteenth protocols
David Harris, Michael O’Boyle, Ed Bates, and Carla Buckley
This chapter discusses Protocols 4, 6, 7, and 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Protocols 4 and 7 protect a selection of civil and political rights not covered by the main Convention text and which make up for the substantive deficiencies of the Convention when compared to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Protocols 6 and 13 concern the abolition of the death penalty in peacetime and in war, respectively.
Chapter
6. Strict liability
This chapter focuses on identifying the circumstances in which an offence will be construed as one of strict liability—that is, where the Crown will not have to establish mens rea in relation to every element of the actus reus. The following controversies are examined: the presumption of mens rea, that is, unless Parliament has indicated otherwise, the appropriate mental element is an unexpressed ingredient of every statutory offence; how to ascertain whether an offence is in fact one of strict liability; whether strict liability infringes Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR); and the merits of strict liability offences.
Chapter
7. Protecting Rights
This chapter examines the development and nature of constitutional rights. The discussions cover the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR); the campaign to incorporate the ECHR into UK law; the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA); a case study on prisoner voting Hirst v UK (No. 2); criticisms of the HRA; the European Union and human rights.
Chapter
12. Article 9: Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion
David Harris, Michael O’boyle, Ed Bates, Carla M. Buckley, KreŠimir Kamber, ZoË Bryanston-Cross, Peter Cumper, and Heather Green
This chapter discusses Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which covers forms of both religious and non-religious belief. Few Articles of the Convention have generated as much controversy as Article 9, from complaints about curbs on religious dress and displays of religious symbols to conflicts over faith in the workplace. In the past three decades, the Court has made important strides in formulating its own guidelines in relation to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. The chapter considers the restrictions on belief permitted by Article 9.
Chapter
15. Article 12: The Right to Marry and to Found a Family
David Harris, Michael O’boyle, Ed Bates, Carla M. Buckley, KreŠimir Kamber, ZoË Bryanston-Cross, Peter Cumper, and Heather Green
This chapter discusses Article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to marry and to found a family, subject to a wide power on the part of states to regulate the exercise of the right. National law may regulate the form and capacity to marry, but procedural or substantive limitations must not remove the essence of the right. The right to marry does not extend to same-sex marriage and there is no right to divorce. However, persons who are transgender are guaranteed the right to marry persons of their now opposite sex.
Chapter
16. Article 13: The Right to an Effective National Remedy
David Harris, Michael O’boyle, Ed Bates, Carla M. Buckley, KreŠimir Kamber, ZoË Bryanston-Cross, Peter Cumper, and Heather Green
This chapter discusses Article 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which requires the provision of effective national remedies for the breach of a Convention right. Together with Article 35 (addressing, inter alia, exhaustion of domestic remedies), this article is central to the cooperative relationship between the Convention and national legal systems.
Chapter
18. Article 15: Derogation in Time of War or Other Public Emergency Threatening the Life of The Nation
David Harris, Michael O’boyle, Ed Bates, Carla M. Buckley, KreŠimir Kamber, ZoË Bryanston-Cross, Peter Cumper, and Heather Green
This chapter discusses Article 15 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which enables a state to unilaterally derogate from some of its substantive Convention obligations in public emergencies threatening the life of the nation. The provision is therefore of great importance to the Convention’s general integrity and to the protection of human rights in situations where individuals may be especially vulnerable to the actions of the state in response to a public emergency.
Chapter
2. Admissibility of Applications
David Harris, Michael O’boyle, Ed Bates, Carla M. Buckley, KreŠimir Kamber, ZoË Bryanston-Cross, Peter Cumper, and Heather Green
This chapter focuses on admissibility requirements. It discusses the general approach to admissibility; the application of admissibility requirements to individual and inter-state cases; the exhaustion of domestic remedies; the four-month rule; other grounds of inadmissibility; and the competence of the Court.
