Human Rights

As you know, England doesn't have a written constitution, but it does have a Bill of Rights.  Unfortunately, it was from 1689, and is a bit dated:

• Freedom from royal interference with the law.
• Freedom from taxation by Royal Prerogative.
• Freedom to petition the monarch.
• Freedom from the standing army during a time of peace. (In other words, when not at war the monarch needs the agreement of parliament before the army could be moved against the populace.)
• Freedom for Protestants to have arms for their own defence, as suitable to their class.
• Freedom to elect members of parliament without interference from the sovereign.
• Freedom of speech and debates. (Actually, this really just applied to members of Parliament.)

Fortunately, in 1953 the Council of Europe drafted a treaty on the European Convention on Human Rights, which was ratified by Britain.  This prohibits torture, slavery, unlawful detention, and discrimination, and guarantees the right to privacy, a fair and speedy trial, and freedom of thought, expression, association, conscience and religion.  It was later amended to prohibit the death penalty.

 

Unfortunately, the Court has refused to apply the right of marriage to same-sex couples. (In the UK, same-sex couples can enter civil partnerships, and the Liberal Democrats have promised civil marriages within the next five years.)