European Convention on Human Rights: 75th Anniversary

Lord Jay of Ewelme Excerpts

Thursday 20th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Jay of Ewelme (CB)]

My Lords, as your Lordships will know—I am sure the right reverend Prelate, whom it is a pleasure to follow, will know—in George Orwell’s 1984, the three great regional powers of Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia confront each other with constantly shifting alliances. Why those alliances shift is never clear, but it is the people and their human rights who suffer. Today, there is a fourth great power in the world; not only the United States, Europe—in a rather different form from the others—and Russia, but China too, watching and no doubt considering its options for Taiwan. One cannot push analogies too far, but we now live in a world of great power machismo, where international co-operation and international agreements are too often flouted. But it is precisely at times like these that they are so needed, and why it is right to focus now on the European Convention on Human Rights.

Too often, Europe, which we like to think of as civilised, has experienced the abuse of human rights: in Ukraine today, in the aftermath of Russia’s wholly unjustified and unjustifiable invasion; in Bosnia; in Serbia; in Kosovo more than 20 years ago; and in the chaos and anarchy of eastern Europe after the Second World War, brilliantly evoked in the books of Primo Levi. It is a tribute to the ECHR that more than 40 countries, with Russia of course expelled, are now its members and have accepted the international legal obligation to protect human rights, in our case through the implementation of the Human Rights Act.

Of course the ECHR is not perfect. Of course some member states fail to observe all their obligations under it. But Europe and, through Europe’s example, other parts of the world are the better for it. As an original signatory, Britain gained respect and influence. That must remain the case so that Britain, as a constructive and active member, can help to realise the ECHR’s principles. I do not favour withdrawal from the ECHR. I believe in exercising our influence for good within it. I am glad that the Prime Minister has said that the Government are unequivocally committed to the ECHR. I hope that the Minister will repeat that commitment today.