June 2017 - Human Rights Act - An Easy Target?

If all that someone ever knew about the Human Rights Act 1998 was gained from reading newspapers and listening to Government ministers, they might be forgiven for thinking that in reality, the Act was a charter for the rights of criminals and terrorists.  In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

Under human rights law, the victim is given considerable protection.  Numerous cases have stressed the importance of protecting them from physical or psychological harm, intimidation and respecting their privacy.

In addition, under the Act, the Government has an obligation to  deter crime, carry out effective investigations of criminal acts and prosecute suspects. 

Some rights under the Act can also be limited, enabling a range of ‘public interest’ aims to be given as justification for interfering with an individual’s rights.

Far from creating a ‘human rights’ culture, many individuals & organisations still do not know what rights the Act gives them.  In order to be properly informed and be able to reasonably apply the Act to service delivery or your own personal circumstances, Latitude Consortium runs Human Rights Act training.