Dominic Raab’s plans to reform the Human Rights Act have been attacked as ‘an unashamed power grab’ from a government trying to ‘put themselves above the law’. Writing for the Times today, the justice minister outlines proposals to reform the legislation whilst committing to staying within the European Convention on Human Rights.
Raab cites the example of ‘a dangerous criminal’ frustrating deportation on human rights grounds who had been convicted of battery against his partner and paid no maintenance towards his child. ‘As a result of the way the Human Rights Act (HRA) has promoted such expansive interpretations of article 8, those claims make up about 70% of all successful human rights challenges made by foreign national offenders against the deportation orders,’ Raab writer. ‘The fault lies with the HRA – not the judges. We need to restore some balance in common sense to the system.’
