1. Campaign to save the Human Rights Act
Campaigning skills and Amnesty’s campaign to save the Human Rights Act - both
What cases have you heard where the HRA used?
Debora Singer, Amnesty trainer

2. Public Perceptions HRA only for criminals and terrorists
Problem is just re perceptions – mostly from media – positive cases
So what is the Human Rights Act?

3. Origin: Human Rights Act
The European Convention on Human Rights:
‘Never Again’
Bringing rights home with the Human Rights Act
Birth of the ECHR 1951: led by UK, states in Europe came together to ensure rights were never again trampled on as they had been during WW2, or particular groups abused or treated less favorably because the government of the day viewed them as somehow less than human.
Nothing do to with the European Union. ECHR is overseen by the Council of Europe.
Court in Strasbourg
you had to go to the Strasbourg court which was expensive, and very slow. usually took years to be heard.
So, 1998, drafted Human Rights Act. Idea was to bring rights home – to take the key rights from the ECHR and make them relevant and accessible to everyone.
The HRA came into force in this country on 1 October So now cases about people in this country are decided by judges here.

4. Human Rights
Right to life
Freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment
Right to liberty and security
Right to a fair trial
Respect for your private and family life
Freedom of thought, belief and religion
Freedom of expression
Freedom of association

5. Conservative manifesto
Repeal Human Rights Act and replace with a Bill of Rights
Because of public’s perceptions and neither party educating public re HRA
Tory manifesto: scrap HRA and replace with Bill of Rights
Don’t like “Bad” people having same rights as “good”
May be very similar to HRA so why bother changing?
It will never effect you….let’s test that assumption…

6. Justice for the 96 Hillsborough Inquiry www.savetheact.uk/hillsborough
96 people lost their lives in a crush at Hillsborough football ground in 1989, the fans were blamed.
The Human Rights Act enabled the families of those who died to tell their loved ones’ stories
and to reveal the truth: that mistakes made by the police and others led to their deaths.
Right to Life

7. The Boy who Changed the Law
Hughes Cousins-Chang
Right to private and family life

8. Bringing Rights Home!
Mr and Mrs Driscoll
Right to family life
didn’t have to go to court, just mentioned Act

9. I began to feel like a human being again
Jan Sutton
Right to private life
didn’t have to go to court, just mentioned Act

10. Theory of change (1) Problem
Government want to repeal Human Rights Act
Solution
Prevent repeal of Human Rights Act

11. Influencing tree
Minister
MPs
Public

12. Theory of change (2) Target Activities Public Minister of Justice MPs
Share stories
Petition
Write to

13. Campaign: Share Stories
Use these stories to influence public

14. Campaign: Sign and Share Petition
Liz Truss, Justice Secretary
Public write to Minister

15. Campaign: Lobby your MP
There will need to be a vote to repeal the Human Rights Act.
Let your MP know why we should keep the Human Rights Act.
Public encouraged to lobby MPs

16. #SaveTheAct
Questions?