RELATIVES of victims of the Lockerbie bombing have today joined a major civil society coalition to defend the under-threat Human Rights Act.
UK Families Flight 103, the group representing families of the UK victims of the 1988 atrocity, is amongst 130 organisations who have pledged to fight Tory proposals to scrap the act and replace it with a British Bill of Rights.
Other signatories include charities supporting trafficking victims and disabled people, as well as football supporters, teachers and faith groups.
The move comes as David Cameron’s administration is expected to confirm its plan in the Queen’s Speech. While detail of the planned Bill has not yet been published, it is understood that its protections would cover only UK citizens, unlike current legislation which emphasises the universality of human rights.
In a UK-wide push orchestrated by Amnesty International, Liberty and the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR), 135 groups have signed a pledge affirming their intention to fight the Westminster Government plan. It states: “We believe in fundamental human rights and freedoms.
“Human rights underpin our democracy, hold governments to account and require that everyone’s dignity is equally respected. We pledge to oppose any government plans to repeal our Human Rights Act – in so doing we stand firm on guaranteeing universal human rights protections for generations to come.”
The Scottish Association for Mental Health, Scotland’s Children and Young People’s Commissioner and Friends of the Earth are amongst those making the declaration.
Other signatories include Stonewall, the Migrant Rights Network, the Disability Law Service and the Football Supporters’ Federation, as well as Quakers in Britain, Friends of the Earth and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers.
Amnesty UK director Kate Allen said: “Hillsborough shows how vital the Human Rights Act is to ordinary people when all other avenues of justice fail. We mustn’t let politicians tear up those hard-won protections.”
BIHR head Stephen Bowen said: “We are saddened the government is ploughing ahead with plans to scrap our Human Rights Act, the Bill of Rights we already have. Today the British Institute of Human Rights is proud to stand alongside so many who recognise that the hallmark of a genuine bill of rights is its ability to protect everyone.”
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