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  • TUESDAY AUGUST 24 2004 7:00 PM

British Conservatives to scrap EU Human Rights Act

Submitted by YUSHi

Edited by legionnaire

The Conservatives announced yesterday as part of their election manifesto to scrap the Human Rights Act brought into power in 2000 under new European Union legislation established in 1998, the first update to the Human Rights Act since after the second world war in 1951. The plans came to light as the Conservatives are keen to cut back on American style "compensation culture" with lawsuits occurring more frequently in the UK against hospitals and other public sector services - the cost of which to the UK taxpayer is claimed to be "billions" of pounds.
However it hasn't gone down too well.

Within two hours of David Davis, the shadow home secretary, announcing he would set up a commission to look at "the reform, replacement or repeal of the act", the Law Society predicted it would conclude that the act merely allowed British courts to deal with human rights abuses "rather than forcing people to go to Strasbourg for justice".

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers accused him of "exacerbating hysteria", while a leading human rights lawyer, Geoffrey Bindman QC, described Mr Davis's speech as "grossly inflated and alarmist".

The government condemned him for "muddling the European convention of human rights with the compensation culture", and Labour released a list of Tory frontbenchers and peers who had consistently backed the 1998 bill, including Mr Davis's deputy, Dominic Grieve.

Looks like the Tories have again shot themselves in the foot... I wonder what they would do if their hospital treatment for it wasn't up to scratch?

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Comments
dholokov

dholokov

Toronto, ON
April 2003

AUG 24, 2004 07:48 PM

Here, here! It is imperative the world return to the good old days, when wrongs went uncompensated! whatever

s5

s5

STAFF

San Francisco, CA

AUG 24, 2004 07:50 PM

the leading cause of malpractice suits is malpractice.

dholokov

dholokov

Toronto, ON
April 2003

AUG 24, 2004 07:53 PM

s5 said:
the leading cause of malpractice suits is malpractice.



'xactly! The medical profession faces tons of lawsuits, but rarely human rights ones.

darklord666

darklord666

Koloa, HI
September 2003

AUG 24, 2004 08:24 PM

Britts for Bush following a policy that dismantles constitutions and revokes human rights? "Can I 'ave yer livver? puke

JohnnyForeigner

JohnnyForeigner

United Kingdom
July 2003

AUG 25, 2004 02:55 AM

Every time Labour seem to be at their lowest, every time I feel tgey couldn't get any lower, every time I think 'what could be worse?' the conservatives are always there to remind me... whatever

anaphalaxis

anaphalaxis

United Kingdom
August 2003

AUG 25, 2004 03:17 AM

British conservatives.... hm.... which ones are they again?

Cherry

Cherry

SUICIDEGIRL

British Columbia, Canada

AUG 25, 2004 03:39 AM

EvilG said:
Every time Labour seem to be at their lowest, every time I feel tgey couldn't get any lower, every time I think 'what could be worse?' the conservatives are always there to remind me... whatever



Then, make sure you vote Lib Dems wink

Cherry xoxoxox

Ems

Ems

United Kingdom
July 2004

AUG 25, 2004 04:53 AM

The moral of this news story? Don't vote Tory....

*Gets lynched by UK Tory voters*

James_

James_

United Kingdom
March 2003

AUG 25, 2004 04:59 AM

Isn't the human rights act superceded by the European constitution, anyway?

This, to me, is just yet more proof that the right is uncaring, unsympathetic and generally just evil.
Way to win over the voters Michael "poll tax" Howard.

UpTight

UpTight

I'm lost
December 2003

AUG 25, 2004 11:59 AM

British Politics are baffling. The only people voting for Blair will be people who hate him but love Labour and people who hate Labour but love Tony Blair.

I might even be tempted to vote Tory if it wasn't populated by the same evildead as it was in the 80's. I have no respect for the Lib-dems WHATSOEVER.

fuckit - I'm voting for the English Democrats - a wasted vote, I know....

lastpenguin

lastpenguin

I'm lost
June 2003

AUG 25, 2004 04:27 PM

argh. why oh why oh why can't someone get their arse in gear and provaide a viable alternative to tony and co.

Nic

Nic

SUICIDEGIRL

United Kingdom

AUG 25, 2004 05:02 PM

DON'T VOTE TORY! OR LABOUR!

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