Human Rights Act will be scrapped in favour of British Bill of Rights, Liz Truss pledges

Liz Truss, the Justice Secretary
Liz Truss, the Justice Secretary, has dismissed speculation that the Government is planning to scrap the manifesto pledge Credit: Paul Grover for The Telegraph

The Human Rights Act will be scrapped in favour of a British Bill of Rights by the new Government, the Justice Secretary has pledged.

A new British Bill of Rights will be introduced, Liz Truss has insisted, dismissing speculation that the Government is planning to scrap the manifesto pledge.

In recent weeks it was suggested that the Bill had been "junked" by Theresa May's new top team.

But Ms Truss told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We are committed to that. It is a manifesto pledge. We are looking very closely at the details but we have a manifesto pledge to deliver that."

It had been claimed that Mrs May had ordered a review of plans for a new British Bill of Rights in the wake of the vote to leave the European Union.

Whitehall officials said that the new Prime Minister had asked Ms Truss to re-think the pledge, which was in the Conservative manifesto.

Mrs May is understood to be concerned about the proposals as they stand, particularly a concession agreed by the previous government that Britain would remain signed up to the European Court of Human Rights.

Any delay to the proposals would anger Conservative MPs who have long campaigned for the Bill of Rights.

David Cameron’s government said that the British Bill of Rights would replace the controversial Human Rights Act, which has led to the UK authorities being left unable to deport criminals and suspected terrorists.

The details of the Bill of Rights were drawn up by Michael Gove, the former justice secretary who was sacked as part of Mrs May’s reshuffle.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman previously said: “We will set out our proposals for a Bill of Rights in due course. We will consult fully on our proposals.”

It came as Mrs May has hit back at Jean-Claude Juncker's claim that borders are the "worst invention ever made" by politicians

Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission President
Jean-Claude Juncker has called for all of Europe's borders to be opened Credit: Reuters

The European Commission President called for all of Europe's borders to be opened to show solidarity with the growing numbers of refugees trying to move across the continent.  

His comments come as countries across Europe have been forced to introduce tighter border controls to stem the flow of people.

Speaking at Alpbach Media Academy, Mr Juncker said: “Borders are the worst invention ever made by politicians.” 

However, a No 10 spokesperson said: "This is not something the Prime Minister agrees with."

Mr Juncker added that Brexit meant it was more important than ever for member states to work as one.

He said: “In the concentration of globalisation and European problems, we must not lose our way."

Mr Junker made the comments ahead of a major meeting this afternoon between Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor,  Matteo Renzi, the Italian prime minister, and Francois Hollande, the French prime minister.

EU diplomatic sources said that the trilateral summit among Europe's three major post-Brexit powers would not discuss the specifics of any possible deal with the UK, since Britain had still not decided what kind of relationship it wanted with Europe.

Last month Mrs May and Francois Hollande reached a "very clear" agreement to keep Britain's border controls in Calais in a move that dispelled "Project Fear" warnings that they could move to Dover after Brexit.

It follows warnings during the EU referendum campaign that the controls, which mean people are checked in France before arriving in the UK, would end and Britain would be forced to take sole responsibility for screening and security.

 

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