Britain will stay in ECHR, says justice minister
A justice minister in Britain’s Labour government has told members of his party that the country will remain a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
According to the Law Society Gazette of England and Wales, however, barrister Jake Richards also stressed that the treaty must change if the British people were going to back it.
Richards told his party conference in Liverpool yesterday (28 September) that his party was “absolutely committed” to the convention and to Britain sticking to its obligations.
Dividing line
The Gazette says that his remarks drew a clear dividing line with the Conservative Party and Reform UK, which have both pledged to leave the ECHR.
The minister noted, however, that the treaty was a “living instrument” and that the party should not be afraid to accept change.
“I am very proud the UK government is playing its part in making sure that [reform of the ECHR] is a constructive process,” he said.
“That is the only way you get a policy that works, that is consistent with our obligations, and which begins to try and win the public argument.
‘Embrace realpolitik’
“Leaving the ECHR is not going to help us tackle the small-boats crisis one jot, and anyone who says otherwise would be lying,” Richards stated.
“We have to embrace realpolitik and what is happening across Europe,” he added.
Last year, Britain argued for a “fundamental reset” in the balance between an individual’s article 8 rights under the ECHR and the public interest, to place a greater emphasis on compliance with domestic immigration rules.
Earlier this year, all 46 Council of Europe member states adopting a political declaration underlining and clarifying key aspects of the ECHR system, notably in the context of migration.