Archive for category Human Rights
Full-Court Press
Posted by Carolina Bracken in Civil Liberty, Crime, Human Rights, Politics on 02/09/2011
Over past weeks, both David Cameron and Nick Clegg have written candidly about the “misrepresentation of human rights”, with the Deputy PM in particular bemoaning how those in power have “belittled the relevance of rights at home”. Their ambitions to “get a grip” on this distortion are essential and to be welcomed, as the media and public bodies continue to pollute the rights discourse with inaccuracies, errors and fallacious propaganda.
EHRC refuses Britain a fair hearing
Posted by Nick Cowen in Civil Liberty, Human Rights, Immigration, Multiculturalism, Political Correctness on 08/08/2011
The Equality and Human Rights Commission contributes very little to meaningful equality in Britain today and should be abolished, according to a new Civitas report. Added to the Government’s much trumpeted ‘bonfire of the quangos’, the EHRC would save the Treasury tens of millions of pounds at no obvious cost to the general public.
Small Corroding Words, by Jon Gower Davies, is a systematic critique of the philosophy, research and practice of the EHRC. It reveals serious flaws in the EHRC’s ‘triennial review’, How Fair Is Britain?, that was used to demonstrate unfairness in Britain. What the research actually shows are the statistical differences between some groups. This line of thinking entails, for example, taking the fact that men are more likely to die in work-related accidents than women as a sign of unfairness. (pp. 8-9) The EHRC inaccurately blames Britain for differences of this kind.
The Great Escape: Part II
Posted by Carolina Bracken in Civil Liberty, Crime, European Union, Human Rights on 30/06/2011
In light of the increasingly evident disparity between standards of criminal justice in EU member states, the European Commission has launched a consultation on pre-trial detention and extradition. This Green Paper should be welcomed as a recognition of “the scandal of excessive and unjustified pre-trial detention in Europe”, and the need to impose more rigorous common standards to prevent further rights violation.
The Great Escape
Posted by Carolina Bracken in Civil Liberty, Crime, European Union, Human Rights on 22/06/2011
After ten months in barbaric captivity, and a further three years in legal limbo, Andrew Symeou has been acquitted of manslaughter and can return to the UK. His story must serve as evidence of the worst excesses of the European Arrest Warrant, and be used as a platform to achieve long-overdue and far-reaching change.
Turbulent Flight Plan
Posted by Carolina Bracken in America, Civil Liberty, Crime, European Union, Human Rights, Security on 01/06/2011
Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has defended a US-EU data retention agreement as “crucial” to improving international security. “Given the threats we face are global in nature,” he said in Brussels, “we cannot provide the protection we all wish to see without working with our non-EU partners”. However, far from being equal negotiators, the EU has submitted to belligerent US demands, leading to an inconsistent, disproportionate and expansionist scheme.
Lending Support
Posted by Carolina Bracken in Civil Liberty, Crime, European Union, Human Rights on 25/05/2011
Although 30 million Europeans fall victim to crime each year, at an annual cost of some €250 billion, support for victims in the EU has long been woefully inadequate. However, extensive reform proposals published by the European Commission last week take important strides towards towards establishing a basic minimum level of care for victims of crime, and are undoubtedly deserving of praise.
