Humanists alarmed by further attacks on the European Convention on Human Rights

Humanists UK has condemned the Conservative Party’s commitment to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if they win the next election. The announcement comes only weeks after Reform UK promised to do so, as well as withdraw from other key international human rights instruments.

Party Leader Kemi Badenoch made the announcement ahead of the Conservative Party Conference, after a review led by Shadow Attorney General Lord Wolfson of Tredegar concluded that the ECHR placed significant constraints on the Government. Humanists UK is alarmed by the ongoing attacks on the ECHR amid wider Labour consideration on how Article 3 (prohibition of torture) and Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) are interpreted in relation to asylum cases.

What is the ECHR and why do we need it?

The ECHR is an agreement between countries that they will uphold the fundamental rights and freedoms of people. These include the rights to life, to fair trial, to freedom of expression as well as to freedom from torture. These are not privileges. Human rights are the minimum standard by which we can be expected to live.

The ECHR is enforced by the European Court of Human Rights, where individuals from the UK can appeal when they believe their rights have been violated, and they have exhausted all other possibilities at home. Over the years, people in the UK have used the Strasbourg Court to challenge injustices and inequalities. Cases have led to the end of the ban on gay people serving in the armed forces and to prevent teachers from hitting children. It has been used to protect victims of domestic violence and of child abuse. In short, the ECHR has helped shape a fairer society that humanists strive for.

The Human Rights Act (HRA) brings the rights and freedoms of the ECHR into UK law. This means that individuals can defend their rights directly in UK courts, and public authorities must act in ways that respect those rights, without needing to take a costly and time-consuming case to Strasbourg. The Strasbourg Court, however, remains an essential safety net for the British public to protect their rights, should they need it.

For humanists, the Human Rights Act has paved the way for legal recognition of humanist marriages in Scotland and Northern Ireland, for teaching about humanism alongside religions in schools in England and Wales, and to address unequal provision of care and support for non-religious patients across the UK. Repeal of the Human Rights Act would present a significant setback for secularism in the UK, as in many cases it would leave non-religious people without a legal mechanism for challenging discriminatory treatment or government bias in favour of religions.

Humanists UK Director of Public Affairs and Policy Karen Wright commented:

‘Withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights would represent a grave attack on the basic values of fairness, dignity, and equality that underpin our democracy.

‘The ECHR and the HRA have been vital in protecting everyone’s rights, including those of the non-religious, and in holding governments to account when they act unjustly. Undermining these protections would not make Britain stronger—it would make it less free, less fair, and less humane.’