Category Archives: Judiciary and human rights

ECHR reform: a danger of contagion in relation to Article 3

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A profile image of Veronika Fikfak.

Ahead of tomorrow’s meeting on reform of the European Convention of Human Rights, Veronika Fikfak argues that a tipping point for future significant change to the Convention has been reached. She also warns of the danger of negative approaches to the implementation of European Court of Human Rights judgments spreading throughout member states, explores key differences between the European and UK debates on the Convention, and urges the Starmer government not to seek a reinterpretation of Article 3 (which prohibits inhuman and degrading treatment), a policy that she views as undermining the very core of the human rights system.

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Starmer’s constitutional timidity

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Monitor 91, published today, provides an analysis of constitutional events over the last four months, a period in which the government has announced numerous electoral reforms, created a new standards body, introduced a bill to increase public accountability, and continued progress on legislation to enhance devolution in England. However, in this post, which replicates the lead article from today’s new issue of Monitor, Meg Russell and Alan Renwick argue that many of the reforms fail to go far enough. They say that the government could be seeking to lead, and to set the tone on constitutional standards, but changes instead feel timid and reluctant in the face of serious threats.

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Labour and the constitution: (almost) one year on 

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The Constitution Unit’s annual conference takes place next week, bringing together a wide range of speakers to discuss ‘Labour’s Constitutional Agenda in Office’. Starting with a keynote address by Minister for the Cabinet Office Nick Thomas-Symonds, the conference will assess Labour’s performance so far, and its options for the future, across a range of constitutional policy areas. Ahead of the conference, Lisa James analyses the progress so far against the commitments in Labour’s manifesto. 

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Monitor 89: The urgency of protecting democracy and the rule of law

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Today the Unit published Monitor 89, providing an analysis of constitutional events over the last four months. This post by Alan Renwick and Meg Russell, which also serves as the issue’s lead article, highlights welcome action by the government on devolution, commitment to the rule of law and the removal of hereditary peers from the House of Lords, but calls for stronger action on wider Lords reform, progress on the promised Ethics and Integrity Commission, and action on the pre-election pledge to strengthen parliamentary scrutiny of legislation. It warns that the governments of the UK must strive to maintain healthy checks and balances, avoid polarisation, and foster open political discourse at a time when events in the US are showing the dangers of not doing so.

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