UK Tories to abolish basic human rights

Michael Gove, the new Justice Secretary of the UK, intends to scrap the Human Rights Act.

The purpose to scrap the Act is a long-held Tory pledge. Many human rights experts claim the party wants to cut human rights, Pravda.Ru reports. 

The move would scrap such European laws as the right to life, the right to a fair trial, and the right not to be enslaved or tortured. However, British Prime Minister David Cameron intends to replace the Human Rights Act with the British Bill of Rights to protect similar rights.  

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"The British government's proposal to abolish the human rights act is a fundamental error. This will lead to loss of Britain's standing in the world as being a signatory to the European Convention of Human Rights, it will increase the level of human rights abuses that take place in the country currently and it will be a denial of justice for millions; over 8 million black and ethnic minority citizens," Human Rights Activist Lee Jasper says.

Aspects of European guidance on human rights have caused tensions in Britain, such as a ruling saying that it is illegal to ban all prisoners from voting - which contradicts parts of British law. David Cameron has said the idea of prisoners being allowed to vote makes him "feel physically sick".

The Tories have recently won a Conservative majority for the first time in more than two decades. Now they are keen to abolish the Act, which is expected to be in The Queen's Speech on 28 May.