THE UK Government has been accused of “removing everybody’s human rights” as it unveiled new legislation which will allow it to go ahead with deportation flights to Rwanda.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab told MPs the Bill of Rights will restore a “healthy dose of common sense” to the justice system.
He said it would be “crystal clear” that it is parliament that “has the last word” when it comes to dealing with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, which blocked the first attempt to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The Justice Secretary told MPs: “Our Bills of Rights will strengthen our proud tradition of freedom, it will demarcate a clearer separation of powers.
“It will ensure greater respect for our democratic institutions and it will better protect the public and restore a healthy dose of common sense to the justice system which is essential for commanding public confidence. Ultimately it will make us freer, it will help keep our streets safer.”
He added: “We will strengthen the separation of powers in this country, affirming the supremacy of the Supreme Court, being explicit that the UK courts are under no obligation to follow the Strasbourg case law and indeed are free to diverge from it.”
“I’m proud of our world-beating judiciary and what else is the point of a Supreme Court if it bows in subordination to a European one?”
But SNP MP Anne McLaughlin said the Bill of Rights and removal of the Human Rights Act was the culmination of a series of laws which were all about “removing human rights from human beings”.
“This is the culmination of all of it – it is about removing everybody’s human rights,” she added.
McLaughlin questioned why there had been no pre-legislative scrutiny of the bill, asking “What are they so afraid of?”
She also said: “Why is he telling people that this will bring rights home when in actual fact it will force people to go to Strasbourg to get justice?
“Finally the Scottish and Welsh governments have made it clear that they are completely against this in its entirety. We have a tale of two countries – Scotland embedding human rights law into all its legislation – this government stripping it away completely.
“How would he advise the people of Scotland who want to retain human rights law in their legislation, how would he advise them to vote in next year’s independence referendum – yes or no?”
Raab disagreed, saying “no country has been more big-hearted when it comes to those fleeing persecution”.
He claimed an example of this was in Ukraine, where people were “singing God Save the Queen in towns and villages across the country” when the UK Prime Minister visited.
“I think when it comes to protecting human rights we should be big-hearted, but we should also stop the trade in human misery which is a real threat to human rights that we see across the Channel,” he added.
Raab told MPs the UK “intends to remain a state party” to the European Convention on Human Rights, after reports the UK Government was considering withdrawing from it.
