Scrapping human rights 'would shame UK'
Mr Starmer said calling the Human Rights Act a 'criminal's charter' was a lie
Conservative plans to scrap the Human Rights Act would bring "shame" on Britain, according to the director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer.
Tory leader David Cameron has repeatedly vowed to scrap the law if elected prime minister, describing it as "un-British".
But, speaking at the Public Prosecution Service Annual Lecture last night (21st October), Mr Starmer said that the rights set out in the Act are basic and fundamental, adding that they are so much part of our way of life that we "take them for granted".
"It would be to this country's shame if we lost the clear and basic statement of our citizens' human rights provided by the Human Rights Act on the basis of a fundamentally flawed analysis of their origin and relevance to our society," he added.
Mr Starmer was referring to criticisms of the law, which suggest that it is biased towards criminals and it allows terrorism suspects to take refuge in Britain.
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He added that it was a lie to label the Human Rights Act a "criminal's charter".
The Act guarantees among other items the right to life, freedom from torture and degrading treatment, and the right to a fair trial.
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