Justice secretary says ‘public confidence in the rule of law is fraying’ but she wants to protect ECHR by changing it
Echoes of Brexit as Starmer is pressed to seize initiative on human rights
The justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has said Britain will pursue reform of the European convention on human rights (ECHR), both at home and in Strasbourg, saying “public confidence in the rule of law is fraying”.
Mahmood’s warning in her speech at the Council of Europe came as the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said she would undertake an examination of how the courts were applying the right to freedom from degrading treatment.
Ministers are understood to be exploring whether change could come in the form of guidance to courts, or even whether to legislate on the issue.
