Committee Corridor podcast discusses reform of the Human Rights Act

Article summary

In the latest episode of the podcast Committee Corridor, host Joanna Cherry MP discussed the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA 1998) with Professor Francesca Klug, Baroness Sarah Ludford and David Simmonds MP and questioned whether it needed to be reformed. Professor Klug posited that the Bill of Rights Bill could ‘send rights back to Strasbourg’ and give the appearance of the UK disregarding international law. Simmonds argued that there have been cases where the HRA 1998 has prevented the government or public bodies from pursuing its policy objectives, though he added that by and large the courts have acted reasonably. Baroness Ludford warned of the additional complications that the proposed reforms in the Bill of Rights Bill could bring for courts and individuals.