Liberty - Protecting civil liberties, promoting human rights

In response to increasing restrictions on personal freedoms and civil protest, independent national human rights organisations from ten countries today launched the International Network of Civil Liberties Organisations (INCLO). They also released “Take Back the Streets: Repression and Criminalisation of Protest Around the World,” a collection of nine case studies showing patterns of police crackdown and abuse against peaceful assembly, accompanied by concrete recommendations to expand free speech.

This week a Liberty client subjected to years of forced domestic labour has received a full apology from the police force which initially failed to protect her from the abuse or to investigate her allegations of cruelty and violence.

On Sunday, David Miranda, the partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, was detained for 9 hours at Heathrow airport. He was questioned under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and freed only when officers reached the legal time limit for either arresting or releasing him.

Liberty’s response to the Home Office’s “Go home” vans will hit the streets of London as the row over the department’s immigration policies intensifies.

Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, said: “Doreen Lawrence is a role model and a friend – heartfelt congratulations to her on her richly-deserved appointment to the House of Lords. “Who can imagine transforming the grief of losing a child into a campaign to reform policing and the wider values of an entire nation? Her calm courage should be an inspiration to everyone.”

Today Liberty revealed that there will be a completely fresh investigation into the allegation that Royal Military Police (RMP) officer Anne-Marie Ellement was raped by colleagues before her death.

Today Liberty clients Michael Black and John Morgan won their latest battle in their fight against discrimination after they were refused a room at a Berkshire bed and breakfast – because they are gay.

Today Doreen Lawrence gave her backing to Liberty’s “Lawrence amendment” – a reform which would require prior judicial authorisation for undercover policing operations.

Today Liberty announced it has issued a claim against the British Intelligence Services over their suspected involvement in the PRISM and Project Tempora privacy scandal.

Liberty today warned of a devastating blow to open justice and the Rule of Law as Britain’s highest court revealed its reasons for sitting in secret for the very first...

This week Liberty launched a legal challenge against the exclusion of volunteers from the protection of UK equality law.

In response to revelations that a U.S. government program known as “PRISM” gives the United States National Security Agency unprecedented access to the servers of major technology companies, an international...

Isabella Sankey, Director of Policy, said:"The shocking violence we saw yesterday on the streets of Woolwich fills us with horror - and our thoughts remain with the loved ones of...

Today Liberty responded to both the press and politicians’ proposals for press regulation, criticising the Royal Charter mechanism chosen by both for implementation - a vehicle more closely tied to...

Today Liberty responded with dismay as plans for double punishment of the vulnerable via immigration and ASBO changes were included in this year’s Queen’s Speech – but welcomed the dropping...

Today, in Croydon Crown Court, three people were found guilty of the serious abuse of a domestic worker.

Today Liberty announced it will seek Judicial Review of the Government’s controversial new “bedroom tax” policy based on the impact on separated families with shared custody of children. The announcement...

Today the Court of Appeal ruled that “nothing could justify” the way in which seven Metropolitan Police officers heavily restrained a severely autistic and epileptic child – known as “ZH”...

Today Liberty will bring a judicial review of the restraint policy which applies to those being removed from the UK by aircraft.

Today Amnesty International, JUSTICE, Liberty and Reprieve warned that the threat of Secret Courts is graver than ever after Ministers defied the House of Lords and reverted back to the...

Today the Court of Appeal ruled that the automatic disclosure of all convictions and cautions on CRB checks, regardless of their relevance to the job in question, is disproportionate –...

Today the Court of Appeal revealed it has concluded the system of criminal records checks, which requires automatic disclosure of all convictions and cautions to certain employers, regardless of their...

This week Liberty intervened in the case of “ZH”, a severely autistic child who was heavily restrained by police officers while he visited a local swimming pool.

Today the European Court of Human Rights recognised that British Airways employee Nadia Eweida was discriminated at work because of her faith. But the Court also rightly maintained that staff...

Another chapter in Coalition rows over Constitutional reform ended today with the conclusion of its 18-month commission on a British Bill of Rights. The final report exposed deep divisions. Labour...

Today Liberty welcomed the Government’s plans to legalise same-sex civil marriage and same-sex marriage in places of worship – without obliging religious denominations to hold such ceremonies.

Draft Bill pays insufficient attention to privacy and ‘goes much further than it need or should’

Today Liberty welcomed the principal Leveson Report recommendation of a more robust and independent press self-regulator whose members enjoy appropriate legal rewards. Liberty would be unable to support the Report’s...

Liberty client John Walker has won his legal battle to secure equal pension benefits for his civil partner.

Liberty responded to the vote in the House of Lords yesterday evening on the Government’s secret courts proposals.

Outstanding human rights leaders from all walks of life were honoured for their efforts at Liberty’s annual Human Rights Awards in London last night. Inspirational legal figures, young people, artists...

Liberty will honour outstanding human rights leaders at the annual Liberty Human Rights Awards, which will be held at Southbank Centre on Monday evening. The awards recognise and encourage individuals...

Liberty’s clients Michael Black and John Morgan today won the case which they brought after they were refused a room at a Berkshire Bed and Breakfast because they are a...

Today Liberty welcomed the Home Secretary’s long-overdue announcement that Gary McKinnon will not face extradition to the US.

Today Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling used his conference speech to play politics with human rights and the criminal law. Grayling, who was only appointed Justice Secretary just over a month...

Today Liberty will seek to intervene in the High Court in proceedings against the Government and DPP for not allowing Babar Ahmad (accused of setting up terrorist fundraising websites and...

Today Jo Shaw’s principled motion against the secret courts proposals in the Justice and Security Bill was passed at the Lib Dem conference.

Today the discrimination case of Liberty clients Michael Black and John Morgan will be heard in Reading County Court. The couple were refused accommodation at a Berkshire Bed and Breakfast...

Today Liberty revealed that the High Court has ordered a fresh inquest into the death of Anne Marie Ellement – a military police officer found hanged in her barracks in...

Liberty today announced that it is representing two victims of the Winterbourne View care home scandal. A Panorama investigation, which aired in May 2011 under the title Undercover Care: The...

Tonight Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, participated in the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games. The head of the campaign group joined human rights activists and athletes from across...

Today Liberty made an eleventh-hour plea to Home Secretary Theresa May in a final bid to save mother-of-three and domestic violence victim Eileen Clark from an extradition to the US...

Today Liberty staged a protest outside the Supreme Court to illustrate how the highly-flawed Justice and Security Bill proposes to lock down open justice.

Today human rights group Liberty released a legal opinion by preeminent QC Karon Monaghan of Matrix Chambers that contradicts reports that faith institutions may be forced to conduct same-sex marriages....

Today Liberty warned that Government plans for Secret Justice are even worse than first imagined – and that the removal of Inquests has given cover for the removal of judicial...

In today’s Grand Chamber judgment in the case of Scoppola v. Italy (n° 3) (application no. 126/05), which is final, the European Court of Human Rights held, by a majority,...

Today Liberty announced it is intervening in the European Court of Human Rights case concerning the criminalisation of face coverings in France.

Today Liberty responded with dismay as plans for a new Snooper’s Charter and Secret Courts were included in this year’s Queen’s Speech. But it welcomed the proposed Defamation Bill as...

The Brighton Declaration on reform of the Court of Human Rights, due to be finally agreed tomorrow morning, will make clear that primary responsibility for protecting human rights in the...

Liberty today welcomed the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ damning assessment of the Government’s terrifying Secret Justice Green Paper.

Today Liberty welcomed the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee’s urgent call for a major overhaul of the UK’s unfair extradition arrangements with the US.

Liberty will stage a special event in Sheffield on Thursday 29th March to highlight the extradition ordeal of university student Richard O’Dwyer.

Today Liberty announced it will represent Eileen Clark in a last-ditch attempt to save the mother-of-three from extradition to the US.

Today Liberty launches their campaign, ‘For Their Eyes Only’, against the Government’s Justice and Security Green Paper. The Green Paper contains proposals which would allow future ministers to shut out...

Today Liberty repeated its call for undercover officers to be authorised by the Courts after a new HMIC review of covert policing failed to go far enough.

Today Wandsworth Council announced it has backed down over plans to make Liberty client Maite de la Calva and her young daughter homeless. The authority had previously threatened to evict...

Today two high profile decisions from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg demonstrate contrasting faith in the legal system of the United Kingdom and distrust of Middle Eastern...