A consultation (by an independent review) began on how personal information was used and shared in the public and private sectors, and how data-sharing policy should be developed to ensure proper transparency, scrutiny, and accountability.
Source: Data Sharing Review, A Consultation Paper on the Use and Sharing of Personal Information in the Public and Private Sectors, Ministry of Justice (020 7210 8500)
Links: Consultation document | MOJ press release
Date: 2007-Dec
A report examined surveillance and its impact on privacy. It said that an overhaul of privacy protection was needed, and outlined improved systems for regulation, enforcement, and accountability. It said that the courts had not been effective in managing the complex balancing acts necessary when personal privacy was at stake.
Source: Gareth Crossman with Hilary Kitchin, Rekha Kuna, Michael Skrein and Jago Russell, Overlooked: Surveillance and personal privacy in modern Britain, Liberty (020 7403 3888)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Dec
A think-tank report said that people were losing control of their private data, and were not sufficiently aware of how many bodies held their information. The government should urgently develop a more coherent strategy around the way personal information was held and used.
Source: Peter Bradwell and Niamh Gallagher, FYI: The New Politics of Personal Information, Demos, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Links: Report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Dec
A report examined whether the United Kingdom needed a Bill of Rights.
Source: A British Bill of Rights: Informing the debate, JUSTICE (020 7329 5100)
Links: Report | Summary | Liberal Democrats press release
Date: 2007-Nov
The Prime Minister announced a national consultation on the drafting of a Bill of Rights and the creation of a written constitution. He said that the consultation would focus on how to 'entrench and enhance' individual freedoms while also detailing the responsibilities that flowed from British citizenship.
Source: Speech by Gordon Brown MP (Prime Minister), 25 October 2007
Links: Text of speech | Downing Street press release | EHRC press release | Bar Council press release | Telegraph report | BBC report (1) | BBC report (2) | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Oct
Researchers examined how courts in the United Kingdom and Europe responded when human rights and security appeared to conflict. It compared cases from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and the European Court of Human Rights. UK courts were less consistent in their application of proportionality than countries with constitutional rights protections, which tended to be more rigorous in their protections of rights than those which relied instead on the European Convention on Human Rights.
Source: Benjamin Goold, Liora Lazarus and Gabriel Swiney, Public Protection, Proportionality, and the Search for Balance, Research Report 10/07, Ministry of Justice (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Oct
The government published a periodic report on the implementation in the United Kingdom of the United Nations agreement on economic, social, and cultural rights.
Source: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Fifth Periodic Report from the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, Ministry of Justice (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Oct
A report said that successive governments had paid too much attention to public fears over terrorism, at the expense of basic rights.
Source: Eric Metcalfe, The Future of Counter-terrorism and Human Rights, JUSTICE (020 7329 5100)
Links: Report | JUSTICE press release
Date: 2007-Sep
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on counter-terrorism policy and human rights. It said that it was 'absolutely committed' to upholding the international human rights framework.
Source: Counter-terrorism Policy and Human Rights: 28 Days, Intercept and Post-charge Questioning – Government Reply to the Nineteenth Report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Cm 7215, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2007-Sep
A new book examined whether courts could make a more effective contribution to the protection of socio-economic rights with the assistance of appropriately tailored constitutional provisions.
Source: Ellie Palmer, Judicial Review, Socio-Economic Rights and the Human Rights Act, Hart Publishing (01865 517530)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Sep
A report said that the government should prevent police from storing the profiles of innocent people on the national DNA database, and should drop plans to extend police powers that would see DNA samples being taken from people suspected of minor offences such as littering or speeding.
Source: The Forensic Use of Bioinformation: Ethical issues, Nuffield Council on Bioethics (020 7681 9619)
Links: Report | NCB press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Sep
The watchdog for official information said that a 'horrifying' number of companies, government departments, and other public bodies had breached data protection rules in the previous year.
Source: Annual Report 2006/07, Information Commissioner (01625 545 700)
Links: Report | Information Commissioner press release | BBC report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2007-Jul
An article (by the Chair of the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights) examined the relationship between equality and human rights. It said that choices needed to be made in politics and public policy in managing tensions between diverse individuals and groups, and that these choices should be guided by consistent principles rather than made on an ad hoc basis.
Source: Trevor Phillips, 'Equality and human rights: siblings or just rivals?', Benefits, Volume 15 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Jul
A paper said that the Human Rights Act was effectively a Bill of Rights, and examined why there were calls to introduce a 'home-grown' Bill of Rights as well.
Source: Francesca Klug, A Bill of Rights: Do We Need One Or Do We Already Have One?, Law, Society and Economy Working Paper 2, Department of Law/London School of Economics (020 7955 6714)
Links: Paper
Date: 2007-Jul
A report by a joint committee of MPs and peers reviewed the committee's own monitoring work on judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, and on declarations of incompatibility with the Human Rights Act made by courts in the United Kingdom. It recommended measures to overcome obstacles to implementation of court judgments finding breaches of human rights.
Source: Monitoring the Government?s Response to Court Judgments Finding Breaches of Human Rights, Sixteenth Report (Session 2006-07), HC 728 and HL 128, Joint Committee on Human Rights (House of Lords and House of Commons) Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jun
A report summarized the outcome of work with focus groups which examined participants' views on discrimination, human rights, and community relations; and on the proposed new Commission for Equality and Human Rights, particularly in relation to local/regional engagement and the provision of information.
Source: Clare Collins, Community Consultation, Women and Equality Unit/Department of Communities and Local Government (0207 944 4400)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jun
The Court of Appeal ruled that the government had breached human rights laws in its attempts to prevent couples entering into arranged marriages to avoid immigration controls. Couples had the right to marry, and the right not to be discriminated against.
Source: Secretary of State for the Home Department v Baiai and others, Court of Appeal 23 May 2007
Links: Text of judgement | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2007-May
A Member of Parliament introduced a Bill designed to ensure that vulnerable people in private sector care services were protected under the Human Rights Act.
Source: Human Rights Act 1998 (Meaning of Public Authority) Bill, Andrew Dismore MP, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill | Community Care report
Date: 2007-May
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that an employer had violated an employee's right to privacy when they logged details of her personal phone calls, analyzed websites she visited, and tracked her e-mail correspondence.
Source: Copland v The United Kingdom, European Court of Human Rights (+33 0 3884 12018)
Links: Text of judgement | Liberty press release
Date: 2007-Apr
A think-tank report said that there were 266 powers allowing state officials to enter a private home as of right. Many powers were drafted so broadly that the citizen had little or no protection if officials behaved officiously or vindictively. New legislation was needed to harmonize the procedural provisions of all existing entry powers, and protect the citizen by making accountability and transparency paramount.
Source: Harry Snook, Crossing the Threshold: 266 ways the state can enter your home, Centre for Policy Studies (020 7222 4488)
Links: Report | Telegraph report
Date: 2007-Apr
A report examined how people from different backgrounds were using human rights arguments to challenge poor treatment from public services without having to go to court. It challenged the perception that the Human Rights Act was being used solely by criminals or celebrities.
Source: The Human Rights Act - Changing Lives, British Institute of Human Rights/King's College London (020 7401 2712)
Links: Report | BIHR press release
Date: 2007-Apr
A report by a joint committee of MPs and peers said that there had been little evidence of progress in the previous three years to close the gap in human rights protection arising from the narrow interpretation of the meaning of 'public authority'. It made further recommendations to bring about a solution, which it said had become a matter of urgency.
Source: The Meaning of Public Authority under the Human Rights Act, Ninth Report (Session 2006-07), HC 410 and HL 77, Joint Committee on Human Rights (House of Lords and House of Commons) Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Mar
A report said that the collection, storage, and processing of personal data could be of great benefit to citizens: but that users' privacy should be protected. It outlined some of the critical points where technology could be used for unreasonable or unnecessary surveillance, where technical failures could lead to loss of data and diminished trust, and where computer processing of personal data could have unwarranted consequences for fair treatment and human rights.
Source: Dilemmas of Privacy and Surveillance: Challenges of technological change, Royal Academy of Engineering (020 7227 0500)
Links: Report | RAE press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2007-Mar
A discussion paper examined the case for a modern and enforceable British bill of rights.
Source: A Bill of Rights for Britain?, JUSTICE (020 7329 5100)
Links: Discussion paper
Date: 2007-Mar
A report said that an overwhelming majority of people were willing to give up various freedoms to help tackle the threat of terrorism.
Source: Mark Johnson and Conor Gearty, 'Civil liberties and the challenge of terrorism', British Social Attitudes: The 23rd Report - Perspectives on a changing society, SAGE Publications Ltd (020 7324 8500)
Links: Natcen press release | FT report | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Jan
A report said that an overwhelming majority of people were willing to give up various freedoms to help tackle the threat of terrorism.
Source: Mark Johnson and Conor Gearty, 'Civil liberties and the challenge of terrorism', British Social Attitudes: The 23rd Report - Perspectives on a changing society, SAGE Publications Ltd (020 7324 8500)
Links: Natcen press release | FT report | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Jan
The government responded to a report by a joint committee of MPs and peers on the effect of the Human Rights Act. It said that it was continuing to work to equip public authorities to build a human rights culture within their organizations.
Source: The Human Rights Act: the DCA and Home Office Reviews - Government Response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights? Thirty-second Report of Session 2005-06, Cm 7011, Joint Committee on Human Rights (House of Lords and House of Commons), TSO (0870 600 5522)
Date: 2007-Jan