The 1998 Human Rights Act establishes fundamental rights and freedoms for all citizens of the United Kingdom. Public agencies such as the police, councils, schools, and local governments are all responsible for protecting these rights.
Human rights underpin all aspects of our life, but some of the most fundamental ideas include the following:
- The fundamental right to life
- The right to an individual’s privacy
- Anti-discrimination and anti-harassment
- Healthcare and medication accessibility
If you believe that you have been a victim of an infringement of these rights, our human rights solicitors may be able to assist you in bringing a claim. Our law firm’s skilled solicitors have vast expertise bringing human rights violations to light in a variety of contexts, including the following:
- Prosecutions of police officers
- Law governing health and social care
- Education legislation
- Protection of personal data
Our law firm’s experience as immigration specialists involves conducting inquiries and judicial reviews, representing vulnerable individuals in cases involving human rights, child welfare, mental capability, and social welfare problems.
We have a great deal of experience defending victims of torture, human trafficking, domestic violence, and unaccompanied adolescents who have been the victims of crimes against human rights. As a result of illnesses and/or significant mental health conditions, many of our clients are typically at their most vulnerable.
The unfortunate reality is that British authorities often interpret human rights in an unnecessarily restrictive manner, necessitating a large number of judicial challenges to defend those rights and, in some cases, to receive compensation for rights that have been violated.
Human rights are protected in a variety of ways under the law, including:
- They may be used in the context of appeals from decisions of public authorities.
- If the judgement is not appealable, it may be subjected to judicial scrutiny and invalidation on the grounds that it infringes the rights of the parties involved (unless the sole remedy sought are damages).
- If the only remedy sought is monetary compensation, a claim under the Human Rights Act may be brought in either the County Court or the High Court of Justice.
- If a matter has been exhausted by domestic remedies – that is, no further appeal is possible under domestic law – a further appeal may be brought before the European Court of Human Rights, which may also grant temporary relief while the case is being heard.
Additionally, the High Court may declare unconstitutional domestic law provisions that are incompatible with human rights legislation unless the provision is expressly codified as a statute, in which case the High Court may issue a “declaration of incompatibility.”