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Human Rights: Protection of Rights and Freedoms in the UK

The impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 in the courts

  • 3 things to know
  • Components 2 and 3

Overview

Mirror principle and act extending the state's duty to protect life.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Numbers

How far can a court stretch a statute under section 3 of the Human Rights Act 1998?

Numbers

Which case read words into the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 to protect a fair trial?

Key term

What is the limit on the interpretive power in section 3?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    How far can a court stretch a statute under section 3 of the Human Rights Act 1998?

    Model answer

    Ghaidan v Godin-Mendoza [2004] read a Rent Act 1977 succession right in favour of a surviving same-sex partner. Section 3 therefore permits a strained reading and even the reading in of words.

  2. 2

    Which case read words into the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 to protect a fair trial?

    Model answer

    R v A (No 2) [2001] read a further exception into the restriction on questioning a complainant about previous sexual history. The House of Lords used section 3 to secure compliance with Article 6.

  3. 3

    What is the limit on the interpretive power in section 3?

    Model answer

    A court may not adopt a reading that goes against a fundamental feature of the legislation. Interpretation crossing that line becomes amendment, and amendment is a task for Parliament.

  4. 4

    Which case produced a declaration of incompatibility about the legal recognition of gender?

    Model answer

    Bellinger v Bellinger [2003] declared the marriage provisions of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 incompatible with Articles 8 and 12. Parliament responded by passing the Gender Recognition Act 2004.

  5. 5

    Why was the indefinite detention of foreign terrorist suspects held incompatible with the Convention?

    Model answer

    A v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2004] concerned indefinite detention of foreign terrorist suspects. The House of Lords held the scheme incompatible with Articles 5 and 14 because it discriminated by nationality.

  6. 6

    How did Parliament respond to the Belmarsh detention ruling?

    Model answer

    Parliament repealed the detention power and replaced it with control orders under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005. The episode is cited as evidence that a declaration can produce real legislative change.

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Parliamentary and European Law Making
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The court sits in .
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AAn interim injunction restrains publication before trial.
BPublication cannot be undone.
CAn injunction may be the only effective remedy.

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A Public Bill changes the general law.
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