HRC rejects criticisms of its Bill proposals

The Human Rights Commission has hit out at its critics today following the publication of the summary of submissions cataloguing responses to the Bill of Rights consultation.

Today’s publication of the summary of submissions contains the views of more than 300 individuals and organisations who sent their views to the Commission in response to the ‘Making a Bill of Rights’ document in September 2001.

Chief Commissioner Brice Dickson said that a close reading of the summary of submissions would debunk suggestions that the body’s Bill of Rights proposals “undermined existing human rights and equality legislation”. Prof Dickson went on to describe those suggestions as “unfounded”.

He added: "It also illustrates that the Bill of Rights is still very much work in progress and that no firm decisions on what the Commission will say in its final advice to the Secretary of State have yet been taken.”

Amongst the main issues of debate which the summary highlights are: how detailed the Bill of Rights should be; how it should relate to the Human Rights Act 1998; how it can best protect social and economic rights; what it should say about women's rights; children's rights and victims' rights; and how a Bill of Rights should be implemented through the courts.

Professor Dickson said that the Commission was preparing an interim paper on the Bill of Rights which it hopes to publish in the autumn of 2003. The paper will facilitate debate at the proposed cross-party Forum on a Bill of Rights which the Commission and the British and Irish governments “wish to see established as quickly as possible”, said Prof Dickson.

(gmcg)