| Home | About | Join | News & Events | Issues | Publications | Contact |
COMMON VALUES: THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACT
Read Lord Bingham's speech
about the Human Rights Act
at Liberty's Common Values
conference (PDF)Common Values
We believe in fundamental rights and freedoms - shared values that protect every member of the human family and the society we seek to build together.
Rights and freedoms make sense. Through our new campaign, Common Values, we aim to broaden understanding and respect for human rights values. We explain how the Human Rights Act protects you and counter some of the damaging myths that exist around the Act.
The Human Rights Act
The Human Rights Act was passed by Parliament in 1998 and brings the rights from the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms into UK law. It means that you can defend your rights in the UK courts and that public organisations (including the Government, the Police and local councils) must treat everyone equally, with fairness, dignity and respect.
Find out more: Inside the Human Rights Act
What You Can Do
Fundamental rights and freedoms are common to us all. They are our common values. Help us defend them by supporting the campaign today.
Campaigns Email List - Sign up for regular news, updates and ways to get involved.
Watch our short films - We have produced five mini viral clips which you can forward to your friends.
Free Materials - Download and distribute our free resources, or contact us for hard copies.
Join Liberty - If you aren't already a member, please join us. We rely on the support of our members for everything we do!
Donate - Liberty is a small organisation, so any gift goes a long way and helps us work to protect our fundamental rights and freedoms.Press Releases
Control orders, torture techniques and the rise of the BNP - Does Britain still care about human rights?
- In defiance of recent events, a poll released today by Liberty shows overwhelming support for human rights laws. Despite a week of the Government defending the unjust and unsafe control order system, the Metropolitan police accused of using “waterboarding” techniques with suspects and the BNP winning two European parliament seats, polling reveals that 97% think it is important that there is a law that protects rights and freedoms in the UK.
- 15.06.2009
Government climb-down on secret inquests
- Human rights group Liberty today claimed victory for victims after the Government announced that the secret inquest provisions in the Coroners and Justice bill would be dropped.
- 15.05.2009
Liberty and the FSF team up to fight for human rights of football fans
- Relying on section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act, the Greater Manchester Police rounded up 80 Stoke City fans who had stopped at a pub on the way to a match at Old Trafford on 15 November.
- 18.12.2008
British public overwhelmingly support Human Rights
- Despite overwhelming public support for a law protecting rights and freedoms, new poll figures show the Government has failed to inform the public about the Human Rights Act. The polling, released on the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, reveals overwhelming support for the contents of the Human Rights Act, with 96% believing that it is important that there is a law that protects rights and freedoms in Britain.
- 10.12.2008
Liberty argues vulnerable psychiatric patients deserve same protections as prisoners
- The same ‘right to life’ test should apply to patients detained in psychiatric hospitals as it does to prisoners, said the human rights group Liberty today.
- 24.10.2008
Human rights laws require police to protect witnesses in danger
- In a case to be heard by the House of Lords today, Liberty will contend that police are obliged under human rights laws to protect witnesses who are known to be in danger.
- 19.05.2008
Inside the Human Rights Act |
Information about what the Human Rights Act is, how it works and how it protects you. |
Find out more |
Support Common Values |
 |
| Join our email list |
Materials and Resources
- Watch our five mini viral films and send them to your friends.
- A little document with a lot of information in plain English about your human rights (PDF)
- An introduction to the campaign and the human rights values we are standing up for (PDF)
- A leaflet exploding some common myths and misconceptions about the Act (PDF)
Recent Policy Papers
- Briefing from Liberty on human rights issues in the Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill, July 2008.
- Liberty’s response to a Home Office consultation on reforming the immigration system in the context of a suggested British Bill of Rights. May 2008, PDF
- Liberty’s response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights: “A British Bill of Rights” August 2007, PDF
More Information
- An article considering the Bill of Rights debate, February 2009 (PDF)
- Read Lord Bingham's speech about human rights at Liberty's Common Values conference, June 2009 (PDF)
| Liberty. 21 Tabard St, London, SE1 4LA | Privacy | Legal Statement | Kitsite content management |
| This is the website of Liberty and the Civil Liberties Trust. Click here to learn more about the distinction between the two organisations. | |