What has the European Convention on Human Rights ever done for the UK?

The UK Government has, in recent years, repeatedly pushed for replacing the Human Rights Act (HRA) with a British Bill of Rights and even, possibly, to withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Its anti-Convention narrative gives rise, however, to a striking oxymoron, particularly vis-à-vis the Convention’s all-embracing effect on human rights in the UK. This is reinforced by the fact that the UK is one of the founding members of the Council of Europe, has a very good implementation record of ECHR jurisprudence and takes particular pride in its role in the development of universal human rights. With the twentieth anniversary of the Royal Assent to the HRA – and seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – just behind us (and with Brexit just ahead), it is timely to draw attention to this oxymoron and shed light on the continued uncertainty surrounding the future of the HRA and ECHR in the UK post-Brexit.