Today marks 75 years of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), a creation born from the highest aspirations of human civilisation: that every person, regardless of circumstance, deserves equal dignity and fundamental protections.
The ECHR is one of the greatest achievements of European civilisation, following one of its greatest tragedies. Born from the ashes of the Second World War, when the world had witnessed the catastrophic consequences of unchecked state power and the abandonment of human dignity, the Convention represented a solemn promise: never again. It was a radical departure from centuries of thinking that saw rights as gifts from governments to be granted or withdrawn at will. Instead, the ECHR established that fundamental rights belong to every person simply by virtue of being human, and that states must be held accountable to standards beyond their own borders. This was revolutionary – an acknowledgement that sovereignty has limits, and that some principles transcend national interest.
Is it imperfect? Yes. It’s the creation of human beings and there’s no such thing as perfection. But there’s no doubt that the Convention, since the UK adopted it over 70 years ago, has had enormously positive practical effects on our rights and freedoms.
The Convention’s impact has been felt in countless lives across the UK. Yet this foundation is under increasing threat. Domestic attempts to withdraw from it mirror a broader trend of nationalist retreat from international cooperation and shared standards – a dangerous path that thrives on division and erodes the very idea that some principles should transcend borders.
Any attempt to pull the UK out of the ECHR is terrible mood music for our country, particularly at a time of increasing political polarisation and anxiety. The constant nationalist-titillating hints about withdrawal represent nothing less than an immoral abdication of responsibility – turning away from one of the greatest achievements of European civilisation, which emerged from one of its greatest tragedies. The misreporting and inaccurate information surrounding the ECHR is not only undermining public confidence in our legal system – it is eroding trust in the rule of law itself, the very foundation upon which a stable democracy depends.
As humanists, we must resist this false narrative with clarity and conviction. Without the ECHR, ordinary people would lose their essential safeguard against state overreach. Victims of domestic violence, whistleblowers, people facing discrimination, those challenging unlawful detention – all would be left without recourse when domestic courts fail them. We must defend the ECHR not as a perfect instrument, but as an indispensable one, and make the case that human rights are not obstacles to good governance, but its very foundation.
For today, though, we celebrate and remind ourselves of just how important the ECHR is. Seventy-five years of progress, seventy-five years of putting human rights at the centre of decision-making, seventy-five years of an international community holding itself accountable to the highest ideals. That’s worth defending.
Notes
For further comment or information, media should contact Humanists UK Director of Public Affairs and Policy Richy Thompson at press@humanists.uk or phone 0203 675 0959.
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 150,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.