BIHR delivers 60th Anniversary Card for the ECHR

Date: 3rd September 2013
Category: General measures of implementation

Together has joined members of the public, organisations representing countless people across the UK, elected officials, parliamentarians, judges and others to sign an Anniversary Card for the European Convention on Human Rights, on 60 years of it coming into force.

 

The 60th Anniversary card for the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) was presented by BIHR's Helen Wildbore to Paul Mahoney, the British judge at the European Court of Human Rights, who said it was "a reassuring indication of the support of the public and ordinary people".

Other support from Scotland came from Tam Baillie (Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People), Rachel Stewart (Scottish Association for Mental Health) and Robert Sutherland (Scottish Legal Action Group).

In the card signatories said:

 

"Today we celebrate 60 years of human rights across Europe and the UK's commitment to respecting, protecting and promoting the rights contained in the Convention. The UK played a pivotal role in drafting the Convention in the aftermath of World War II and we ask our political leaders to secure our human rights heritage and stand firm on the UK's commitment to the Convention."

Stephen Bowen, Director of the British Institute of Human Rights, said:

 

"BIHR wants to see a genuine public debate which gives a voice to those who are applying human rights in everyday life, recognising the role of human rights as the cornerstone of a democratic and fair society, rather than simply resorting to sound-bites and rhetoric."

 

"We should be proud to live in a country which played a central role in setting up the Convention system. Now is not the time to go backwards, and today many across the UK have stood up to say these human rights protections must not be put at risk by a lack of political leadership."

Find out more and access the list of signatories here.