UK ruling party’s plan to scrap the Human Rights Act has sparked harsh criticism from the UN arguing that the act would be disastrous for victims of abuses and ruin the UK’s commendable record.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said the threat by the UK’s Conservative government to replace the act with a British Bill of Rights would leave many people unable to remedy the abuses they suffer.
“If Britain, a key member of the human rights council, a founding member of the UN and a privileged, permanent member of the Security Council, is considering a move that will potentially weaken a vital regional institution upholding fundamental human rights guarantees, this would be profoundly regrettable,” he said.
He went on saying that the result of such move could prove “damaging for victims and human rights protection; and contrary to this country’s commendable history of global and regional engagement.”
The UN official also warned that such a move may also hand a free pass to states with worse records than the UK to do as they wish.