If we really want to dislike something, then Europe always seems to be a good target.
Our Government currently has its sights on the European court of human rights and the European convention on human rights. Let’s be clear, these are not the same as the European Union (a distinction that our media often fail to make – everything with Europe in its name gets lumped together and is portrayed as being bad).
Because some of the judgements from the court aren’t ones that the Government wanted, it is being proposed that we should secure the right for our parliament to veto its judgments. We need to be very careful. I am sure Russia would welcome the idea that their parliament, the Duma, could set judgements against their country aside. And if we pull out of the European convention on human rights we turn our back on the convention that guarantees the right not to be tortured or enslaved; the right to liberty and security of the person; the right to marry; the right to a fair trial; the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; the right to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association.
These rights have been hard earned: we shouldn’t set aside the structures that guarantee them just because they are European and don’t always produce the outcomes that we want.