Liberty responds to the Council of Europe ministers’ request for ECHR reforms

In response to the Council of Europe ministers calling for the preparation of a political declaration on issues related to migration and the European Convention on Human Rights, Akiko Hart, Liberty director, said:   

“With today’s announcement in Strasbourg, the Government risks taking us down a road of no return by jeopardising the legal framework that protects us all.

“Undermining the European Convention on Human Rights risks dismantling a safety net that protects every one of us. These discussions must be rooted in facts and evidence, not exaggerated narratives and the demonisation of our communities.

“For over 70 years, these laws have quietly underpinned our daily lives: giving us the ability to speak freely, love who we want and ensuring we can hold those in power to account.

“The Government are defending reforms to the ECHR in the name of public interest, yet they must be honest about what people stand to lose if they lay the groundwork for further diminishing our human rights. The ECHR is a vital foundation of our freedoms, and it is essential that any changes do not open the door to the slow erosion of our rights, now or in the future.”