BIHR has led a joint submission to an inquiry on the effectiveness of the Human Rights Act (HRA), 20 years after it was given royal assent. 40 organisations joined voices to celebrate the contributions of the HRA (both past and present), observing how the HRA has enabled people in the UK to access local courts and tribunals to assert their rights and responded to societal and technological developments.  The joint submission particularly highlighted how the HRA has secured positive changes for a wide range of people in a wide range of situations – including health and social care, education and housing - without recourse to the court: "The HRA section 6 duty on public officials to protect and uphold human rights has transformed how policies are developed and how public services are delivered, ensuring that people’s rights are respected. Importantly, this duty has also secured positive changes for people without recourse to the court.  There is evidence that whe...

This post was originally published on British Institute of Human Rights News .