In the UK there are at present no rights expressly cast in terms applicable to climate change, nor have our traditional human rights been extensively interpreted as covering climate change consequences. As David Hart QC identifies in his blog, Is climate change a human rights issue?, human rights principles, to be useful for climate change [...]
Archive for the ‘CONVENTION RIGHTS’ Category
Climate change human rights litigation: is it so radical? Nicola Peart
Posted in Art. 2 | Right to life, Art. 8 | Right to Privacy/Family, Environment, In the news, International on May 9, 2012 | 5 Comments »
Should we outlaw genetic discrimination?
Posted in Art. 14 | Anti-Discrimination, Art. 8 | Right to Privacy/Family, Discrimination, Employment, Features, In the news, Medical, Technology, tagged Discrimination, DNA, Equality Act, Equality Act 2010, freedom of information, genetic discrimination, genetics, health insurance, human rights, insurance, life insurance, Right to Privacy on May 9, 2012 | 2 Comments »
The late US law Professor Paul Miller reflected recently that Beethoven, Stephen Hawking and Elton John were examples of individuals whom, if they had been tested for serious genetic conditions at the start of their careers, may have been denied employment in the fields in which they later came to excel. Earlier this month the [...]
Censure of councillor for “sarcastic, lampooning and disrespectful” blog breached his free speech rights
Posted in Art. 10 | Freedom of Expression, BLOG POSTS, Case comments, Case law, Case summaries, tagged blogging, blogs, human rights, Lewis Malcolm Calver, local government, Wales on May 7, 2012 | 3 Comments »
Calver, R (on the application of) v The Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) - Read judgment The decision to censure a Welsh councillor for comments on his blog was a disproportionate interference with his right to freedom of expression, the High Court has ruled. This right requires a broad interpretation of what counts [...]
Battle of the bus lanes: Addison Lee injuncted by High Court
Posted in Art. 10 | Freedom of Expression, Case summaries, Discrimination, Politics / Public Order, tagged Addison Lee on May 3, 2012 | 3 Comments »
Transport for London (TfL) v Griffin & Ors [2012] EWHC 1105 (QB) - Read Judgment Transport for London (TfL) have succeeded in their High Court application for an injunction restraining Addison Lee Taxis from encouraging drivers to use London bus lanes. Mr Justice Eder ruled that the injunction would not breach Addison Lee Chairman John Griffin’s free expression [...]
When does an expert report constitute “independent evidence” of torture?
Posted in Art. 5 | Right to Liberty, Case comments, Immigration/Extradition, Medical, tagged asylum claim, evidence of torture, human rights, Torture on May 2, 2012 | 1 Comment »
R (on the application of AM) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] EWCA Civ 521 - Read judgment Whether expert evidence relied upon by an asylum seeker amounted to “independent evidence” of torture was the key issue before the Court of Appeal in this case . The issue arose in the context of AM’s [...]
Time, time, time, look what’s become of me
Posted in Art. 6 | Right to Fair Trial, Case comments, European, Immigration/Extradition, In the news, Terrorism, tagged abu qatada on May 2, 2012 | 7 Comments »
In law, time can be everything. Every lawyer will have experienced waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat at the realisation that a time limit has been missed. Courts often have the discretion to extend litigation time limits, such as under rule 3.1 of the Civil Procedure Rules, but simple [...]
Yes, come to the library! Browse and borrow, and help make sure it’ll still be here tomorrow…
Posted in Case comments, Education, Politics / Public Order, Protocol 2 Art. 1 | Right to education, Spending cuts, tagged library closures, spending cuts on May 2, 2012 | 7 Comments »
“Yes, come to the library! Browse and borrow, and help make sure it’ll still be here tomorrow…” Thus concludes “Library poem”, penned by Children’s Laureate and Gruffalo creator Julia Donaldson, the latest high profile recruit to the campaign against planned library closures. There have been a number of developments since we last blogged on this issue: [...]
“Murder most foul”: The right to life investigating homicide
Posted in Art. 2 | Right to life, Case summaries, Criminal, Inquests and Inquiries on May 1, 2012 |
R (Medihani) v. HM Coroner for Inner South District of Greater London [2012] EWHC 1104 (Admin) – Read judgment. In what circumstances is a criminal trial not sufficient to discharge the State’s duties under Article 2, the right to life, towards a victim of murder? The High Court held last week in this tragic case [...]
Hate speech and the meaning of “unacceptable behaviour”
Posted in Art. 10 | Freedom of Expression, Case summaries, Margin of Appreciation on April 26, 2012 |
Raed Mahajna v Secretary of State for the Home Department IA/21/21631/2011 – read judgment 1 Crown Office Row’s Neil Sheldon appeared for the Secretary of State in this case. He is not the writer of this post. Late last year I posted about the case of Mr Mahajna, a national of Israel (but of Palestinian [...]
Is climate change a human rights issue?
Posted in Art. 2 | Right to life, Environment, Features, In the news, International on April 24, 2012 | 4 Comments »
In his thought-provoking Guardian post Climate change is a human rights issue – and that’s how we can solve it, Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, makes a case for human rights playing a radical new part in our response to climate change. His argument involves a number of propositions: (i) global [...]
Abu Qatada and the law of time – Carl Gardner
Posted in Art. 3 | Torture / Inhumane Treatment, Art. 6 | Right to Fair Trial, European, Immigration/Extradition, In the news, Terrorism, tagged abu qatada on April 19, 2012 | 34 Comments »
The BBC reported yesterday that there’s “doubt” about the deportation of Abu Qatada, following his arrest on Tuesday and now his appeal to the European Court of Human Rights – which the Home Secretary Theresa May says is out of time. So: is she right? Is the appeal out of time? How has the Home Office [...]
Offshore wind farmer wrong-footed by the Planning Inspector
Posted in Art. 6 | Right to Fair Trial, Case comments, Case law, Environment, In the news on April 18, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Dudgeon Offshore Wind v. Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government et al, HHJ Waksman QC, hearing 23 March 2012, read judgment Running a hearing can be difficult enough when you are sitting as a judge and are faced with parties in a civil case. At least then you have an agenda set by [...]





European Court got it right on mental health detention delay – Martha Spurrier
Posted in Art. 3 | Torture / Inhumane Treatment, Case comments, Medical, Mental Health, Police, Prisons, Social Care on May 7, 2012 | 9 Comments »
This piece is in response to Rosalind English’s post on this blog arguing that in M.S. v United Kingdom the European Court extended to far the ambit of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which protects against torture, and inhuman or degrading treatment. This post argues that the European Court’s ruling is [...]
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