BRITAIN must lead an international alliance in quitting the European Court of Human Rights if major reforms fail, a new report warns.
Sir Keir Starmer has to join forces with France, Germany and Italy by walking away from Strasbourg if an overhaul can’t be achieved, the study says.
Britain must lead an international alliance in quitting the European Court of Human Rights if major reforms fail, a new report warns[/caption]
Changes must include ending the misuse of Article 8, the so-called right to a family life, that has stopped foreign offenders from being kicked out of Britain.
It was revealed earlier this month that a Colombian offender who committed 27 offences to fund a drug and drink habit avoided deportation under the rules.
Cases also include a Jamaican drug dealer, jailed for three years and four months, who avoided being sent home as he had three young children and his wife in the UK.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is currently looking at the implementation of human rights laws and how they are being used to block deportations so that they’re applied by the courts in a proportionate way.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has said that she is ready to walk away from the European Convention of Human Rights if it stops the government acting in the national interest.
The document titled ‘Reform to Conserve’ from the Henry Jackson Society also calls for judges to publish declarations of interest and transparency concerning their affiliations.
Judges must also give interviews after handing down a ruling to enhance transparency and public scrutiny.
Dr Alan Mendoza, Executive Director of the Henry Jackson Society, last night said: “Reform is not simply an option — it is a necessity.
“The European Court of Human Rights must return to its founding purpose and respect the primacy of democratic states to govern in the interests of their own citizens.
“Nowhere is this more urgent than in the misuse of Article 8 — the so-called right to family life — which has been repeatedly exploited to prevent the deportation of foreign criminals and obstruct legitimate immigration control.
“These distortions not only erode public confidence, but also damage the Court’s credibility.
“If Strasbourg remains unwilling to adapt, it risks making itself obsolete — overtaken by both domestic and international forces.”