Free Republic

Far from protecting British troops, this week’s novel ruling by the Supreme Court—stretching the Human Rights Act (HRA) to allow soldiers to sue the Government over decisions on equipment, training and operations—will endanger our forces and undermine democratic accountability. The claims followed casualties in Iraq after a “friendly fire” incident between two Challenger tanks, and when a Snatch Land Rover patrol hit roadside bombs. The Ministry of Defense was accused of negligence in equipping the tanks and jeeps, training the servicemen and operational decision-making. In an unprecedented judgment, the court abandoned the bar to negligence claims against the MoD in...

A burglar was let out of jail yesterday because locking him up breached his family’s human rights. In a staggering judgment, the Appeal Court ruled that the rights of Wayne Bishop’s five children were more important than those of his victims or the interests of justice. MPs said it opened the way to thousands more convicts claiming a ‘get out of jail card’ under the controversial Human Rights Act. More than 200 foreign prisoners, including killers, cheated deportation last year by claiming they have a human right to a ‘family life’ in Britain.

The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics ruled Tuesday that a proposed ballot initiative defining marriage as between a man and a woman cannot go forward, reaffirming an earlier ruling that such a vote would be discriminatory. The board cited the city Human Rights Act, which bans discrimination against gay men and lesbians. The board decision, which will probably be challenged in court, means the D.C. Council can move forward with its plans to vote on a bill next month to legalize same-sex marriage. The council on Tuesday scheduled a vote for Dec. 1. "We have considered all of the...

"And, he says, when he had a conversation with a Commission employee, mediator Bob Fagan, about the specifics of the allegation, he was astonished at what he heard. "'I told him that it seemed to be an abuse of the Human Rights Act for someone to try and use it as an instrument of censorship. And when I said that, on the phone, there was a pause and then he said, in a somewhat astonished tone: "But the Human Rights Act is about censorship." Then it was my turn to be silent on my end, because I found that breath-taking....

A BOY who tattooed the word "Thug" across his forehead and a pupil who brought a boa constrictor to school are among children whose families have tried to defend their behaviour using the Human Rights Act. The cases are revealed in a new book which examines the impact the Act has had on education since it came into effect in October 2000. Its author Simon Whitbourn is a solicitor whose clients include the Department for Education and Skills and several local education authorities. Mr Whitbourn outlines the case of a secondary that refused to admit a boy who had semi-permanently...