The biggest human rights stories of 2012 – Part 1

29 December 2012 by

UKHRB 2012 year in review2012 has been a busy year on the UK human rights front, never short of controversy, hyperbole and even some interesting points of legal principle along the way.

The Human Rights Act 1998, twelve years young, has been under fairly constant attack from politicians and newspapers. Meanwhile, the HRA has been operating pretty well in the courts, with judges producing a steady stream of interesting home-grown human rights judgments. The European Court of Human Rights has produced some fascinating and controversial judgments, and has also, thanks to the UK’s presidency, signed up to some significant reforms.

Here are a few highlights from January to March – hopefully I will have time to complete the rest of the year!

January (click for all posts)

  • Rendition inquiry scrapped:The Justice Secretary announced to Parliament that the Gibson Inquiry tasked with considering whether Britain was “implicated in the improper treatment of detainees, held by other countries, that may have occurred in the aftermath of 9/11” had been scrapped.

February (all posts)

March (all posts)

  • Fireworks at the Bill of Rights Commission – Meanwhile, back on the home front, Dr Michael Pinto-Duschinsky, one of the Government’s eight appointees to the commission (which ultimately reported in December) resigned. I was critical of an article he then wrote in the Daily Mail: I can’t say anything because you’ve brought up… the Holocaust, an article which is still generating controversy, even as of yesterday. I also argued that the Bill of Rights Commission should open up. Which it didn’t.

Part 2, April to June, is here.

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3 comments


  1. Milton Firman says:

    We are all very fortunate to have access to a truly wonderful source of reliable information in the vital area of human rights. The communication of this information, and the prompt reporting of cases, is itself an integral emement of perfecting the hunan rights themselves. I for one am most grateful.

  2. Miguel Cubells says:

    Superb educational piece again – thank you for mentioning the Reynolds case, a case I had not previously picked up on, of which this particular jurisprudence may be of use in respect of our approach to the ECtHR in the New Year. Great educational blog of which educates the Plebs so to speak ;-)

  3. Gillian King says:

    Looking forward to the next instalment. I’m sure it’ll be great research material for my book. Keep’em coming!

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