ADMIN AND HUMAN RIGHTS REVISION DOCUMENT
Human Rights .........................................................................................................................................................2
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................2
Absolute Rights ..................................................................................................................................................5
Article 2 – The Right to Life ............................................................................................................................5
Article 3 – Right to Freedom from Torture ......................................................................................................6
Article 4 – Right to Freedom from Slavery .....................................................................................................7
Article 3 of Protocol 1 – Right to Free Elections .............................................................................................8
Article 1 of Protocol 13 – Abolition of the Death Penalty ...............................................................................8
Limited Rights ....................................................................................................................................................9
Article 5 – Right to Liberty and Security .........................................................................................................9
Article 6 – Right to a Fair Trial ........................................................................................................................9
Article 5 and 6 and UK Domestic Legislation – Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984............................ 11
Article 7 – No Punishment without Law ....................................................................................................... 11
Article 12 – Right to Marriage .......................................................................................................................12
Qualified Rights................................................................................................................................................13
Article 8 – Respect for Private and Family Life ............................................................................................13
Article 9 – Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion...........................................................................14
Article 10 – Freedom of Expression ..............................................................................................................15
Article 11 – Freedom of Assembly and Association ......................................................................................16
Article 1 of Protocol 1 – Protection of Property ............................................................................................16
Article 2 of Protocol 1 – Right to Education .................................................................................................16
Conflicting Rights ............................................................................................................................................18
Absolute vs. Qualified....................................................................................................................................18
Limited vs. Qualified .....................................................................................................................................18
Qualified vs Qualified ....................................................................................................................................19
Administrative Law .............................................................................................................................................22
Judicial Review .................................................................................................................................................22
Ability to make a JR claim .............................................................................................................................22
Grounds for Review .......................................................................................................................................23
Remedies ........................................................................................................................................................26
Procedure for bringing claim .........................................................................................................................26
Public Order .....................................................................................................................................................27
Processions .....................................................................................................................................................27
Meetings .........................................................................................................................................................28
Breach of the peace (common law)................................................................................................................29
1
,Human Rights
Introduction
• Rights person entitled to by being a human
• Usually, cannot be removed by the state
• ECHR distinct from EU law – own institutions and procedures
• Drafted by Council of Europe in 1950 – formation after WWII and spread of Communism after
o Prevent future human rights violations
• Obligation to accept principles of rule of law and enjoyment by all persons within jurisdiction of human
rights and fundamental freedoms
• Signatories must respect rights of all within jurisdiction, regardless of nationality
• International treaty
• 46 state parties
• Belarus only EU state not signed
• Russia was signatory
o Ceased to be member of Council of Europe, March 2022 – war with Ukraine
o Not a signatory from 16th September 2022
• UK ratified the Treaty 1951 – bound as a matter of international law to comply with Convention
• Breaches are brought to European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)
• Judgments of ECtHR are binding on UK, matter of international law
Procedure to bring a case before the European Court of Human Rights
• Two means of commencing proceedings
• State applications
o State bringing against another
o Ukraine brought nine against Russia when was a member state
§ E.g., shooting down of Malaysian airlines flight over Ukraine – Russia authorising
targeted assassination operations against perceived opponents of Russian state
§ E.g., January 2024, Irish Government against UK, provisions of Northern Ireland
Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, incompatible with ECHR
• Ss providing immunity from prosecution for Troubles-related offences – Article
2 and Article 3
• Individual petitions to the ECHR
o Individuals those rights infringed by state, able to start own proceedings against the state
o Must be show that any domestic remedies existing first be exhausted
o There is a time limit – petition made within four months of final UK decision, highest UK court
with jurisdiction
• Two-stage process
o Admissibility stage and merits stage
o Admissibility stage
§ Single-judge formation can declare application inadmissible should inadmissibility be
obvious from the outset – no right to appeal against
§ Cases with well-established case law of Court, allocate to three-member Committee – rule
on admissibility, where it is admissible, final decision or judgement made
o Merits stage
§ Other cases, Chamber of seven judges, rule on admissibility, judgement given by
majority, judgment final after three months, there is potential to refer to Grand Chamber
§ In Grand Chamber, reconsideration of case and hold public hearing, judgement final
• Remedies
o Compensation
o Requiring state to change its law
o Decisions are binding as a matter of international law, no direct binding force on domestic law
§ Reliance on state willingness to comply with Convention and accept judgments
o UK usually complies
§ BUT, December 2020, Council of Europe (oversees ECHR), ‘profound concern’ at UK
government failure to enforce judgements by ECtHR surrounding security force killings
and suspected collusion cases in NI – violations of Art 2 found
§ Reiterated in September 2023
2
, o Committee of Minsters of the Council of Europe responsible for ensuring states comply with
judgments of ECtHR
General Principles under ECHR
• Subsidiarity
o Human rights primarily protected at national level
o System under ECHR subordinate to this
• Margin of appreciation doctrine
o Developed by ECtHR, included in ECHR from Aug 2021, Protocol 15
o Reflects that national authorities are better placed to evaluate local needs and conditions
o Respect of member states decisions, when legitimately reach different conclusion
o The margin is subject to supervision of ECtHR – review the decisions of the member states and
whether compatible to ECHR
o Extent of the margin of appreciation vary, depending on context
§ More important principle, narrower/no margin
§ No diverging views, e.g., moral issue, greater margin allowed
• Handyside v UK (1979) 1 EHRR 737 – Art 10 (freedom of expression) breach,
obscenity laws prohibited publication of sex education manual for children
• SAS v France (2014) 36 BHRC 617 – ban on wearing clothing designed to
conceal face in public breached Art 8 (private life) and Art 9 (religious/moral
belief)
o Views differed on in democratic societies, little agreement within
member states – wide margin, no violations
• Living instrument
o Generously interpreted, evolved with changing social conditions
o There is no strong system of precedent
o Criticism – too much power to unelected judges and member states have legal obligations did not
sign up to
Protection from discrimination
• All right and freedoms protected and applied without discrimination on any ground
o Sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national/social origin, association
with national minority, property, birth, other status
• Protection against discrimination, not freestanding, to rely on, need to show discrimination affected
enjoyment of one/more of other rights in Convention
o ‘must be within the ambit of another right’, applicant no need to show state breached right, R
(Castelluci) v Gender Recognition Panel [2024] EWHC 54 (Admin)
• This is for direct and indirect discrimination
Derogations
• Art 15, able to derogate from part of ECHR ‘in time of war or other public emergency threatening life
nation’
• For period of derogative, unable to apply specified provisions
o S 14 HRA 1998, statutory procedure for enacting derogation, part of UK law
o S 1 HRA 1998, Convention rights read subject to any such derogations – unable to enforce rights
when derogation operating
• Conditions limited power of derogation – only to extent that strictly necessary
• No derogation for Arts 3 (torture), 4(1) (slavery), 7 (retrospective criminal offenses)
• Art 2 (life) only derogated in respect of deaths resulting from lawful acts of war
• Some violations so wrong that no state should countenance them, even in wartime
• UK has issued derogations
o Art 5 (personal liberty), prevention of terrorism legislation in NI (expired) and Anti-terrorism
Crime and Security Act 2001
§ Latter quashed in HoL, A v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2004] UKHL 56
§ Removed derogation on enactment of Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
Ability to bring claim to ECHR (the same for all)
• The Human Rights Act 1998 gives effect to the ECHR in the UK
• S 6, unlawful for public authority to act in way incompatible with Convention rights
• S 7, claimant must be victim
3
, • S 6(1) HRA 1998, unlawful for public authority to act in way incompatible with Convention rights
• S 6(2) HRA 1998, does not apply if, as a result of Act of Parliament, authority could not have acted
differently or, is enforcing provisions of Act incompatible with ECHR
• There is a freestanding cause of action for breach of ECHR – relevant for judicial review cases, adds
grounds for challenge of administrative acts within
• R (Beer) v Hampshire Farmers Market Ltd – ‘public body’ and ‘public authority’ are synonymous
• Court is considered a public body
• Enforcement against private individuals
o Not expressly unlawful for private individual to infringe rights of others
o Effect is horizontal, not vertical
o Court considered public body – duty to apply convention
• S 6 and delegated legislation
o Courts are bound to apply Acts of Parliament incompatible with ECHR
o Judicial review available, s 6 HRA – set aside incompatible delegated legislation
o A v Home Sectretary – HoL quashed legislation made under s 14 HRA 1998
• S 7 HRA 1998, proceedings for breach only brought if they are the victim
• Includes individuals and non-gov organisations (companies, political parties, trade unions)
• Need be personally effected
• Pressure groups not victims, R (Adath Yisroel Burial Society) v HM Coroner for Inner North London
o BUT Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v Switzerland – may have standing to protect
against adverse effects of climate change
o Group must be
§ Lawfully established in relevant jurisdiction
§ Have purpose of defending human rights or members and others affected
§ Able to demonstrate it can be regarded as genuine qualified and representative to act on
behalf of such people
§ Relevant factors – not-for-profit, nature/extent of activates, membership and
representativeness, transparency of governance, whether grant of such standing is in
interests of proper administration of justice
• Cases can be brought by close relatives in certain situations, ‘indirect victims’ – e.g., Art 2 and 3, where
victim dead or disappeared into custody of the state, Van Colle v UK
• Proceedings need be brough in the appropriate court
o E.g. employment, in Employment Tribunal
• ECHR can be relied on in ‘any legal proceedings’, a breach can be raised as a defence
Section 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998
• S 8, compensation can only award damages where ‘necessary to afford just satisfaction’
• Many cases, not need for, as common law course of action
• Judicial review, courts often regard quashing order/other remedies just satisfaction
4
Human Rights .........................................................................................................................................................2
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................2
Absolute Rights ..................................................................................................................................................5
Article 2 – The Right to Life ............................................................................................................................5
Article 3 – Right to Freedom from Torture ......................................................................................................6
Article 4 – Right to Freedom from Slavery .....................................................................................................7
Article 3 of Protocol 1 – Right to Free Elections .............................................................................................8
Article 1 of Protocol 13 – Abolition of the Death Penalty ...............................................................................8
Limited Rights ....................................................................................................................................................9
Article 5 – Right to Liberty and Security .........................................................................................................9
Article 6 – Right to a Fair Trial ........................................................................................................................9
Article 5 and 6 and UK Domestic Legislation – Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984............................ 11
Article 7 – No Punishment without Law ....................................................................................................... 11
Article 12 – Right to Marriage .......................................................................................................................12
Qualified Rights................................................................................................................................................13
Article 8 – Respect for Private and Family Life ............................................................................................13
Article 9 – Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion...........................................................................14
Article 10 – Freedom of Expression ..............................................................................................................15
Article 11 – Freedom of Assembly and Association ......................................................................................16
Article 1 of Protocol 1 – Protection of Property ............................................................................................16
Article 2 of Protocol 1 – Right to Education .................................................................................................16
Conflicting Rights ............................................................................................................................................18
Absolute vs. Qualified....................................................................................................................................18
Limited vs. Qualified .....................................................................................................................................18
Qualified vs Qualified ....................................................................................................................................19
Administrative Law .............................................................................................................................................22
Judicial Review .................................................................................................................................................22
Ability to make a JR claim .............................................................................................................................22
Grounds for Review .......................................................................................................................................23
Remedies ........................................................................................................................................................26
Procedure for bringing claim .........................................................................................................................26
Public Order .....................................................................................................................................................27
Processions .....................................................................................................................................................27
Meetings .........................................................................................................................................................28
Breach of the peace (common law)................................................................................................................29
1
,Human Rights
Introduction
• Rights person entitled to by being a human
• Usually, cannot be removed by the state
• ECHR distinct from EU law – own institutions and procedures
• Drafted by Council of Europe in 1950 – formation after WWII and spread of Communism after
o Prevent future human rights violations
• Obligation to accept principles of rule of law and enjoyment by all persons within jurisdiction of human
rights and fundamental freedoms
• Signatories must respect rights of all within jurisdiction, regardless of nationality
• International treaty
• 46 state parties
• Belarus only EU state not signed
• Russia was signatory
o Ceased to be member of Council of Europe, March 2022 – war with Ukraine
o Not a signatory from 16th September 2022
• UK ratified the Treaty 1951 – bound as a matter of international law to comply with Convention
• Breaches are brought to European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)
• Judgments of ECtHR are binding on UK, matter of international law
Procedure to bring a case before the European Court of Human Rights
• Two means of commencing proceedings
• State applications
o State bringing against another
o Ukraine brought nine against Russia when was a member state
§ E.g., shooting down of Malaysian airlines flight over Ukraine – Russia authorising
targeted assassination operations against perceived opponents of Russian state
§ E.g., January 2024, Irish Government against UK, provisions of Northern Ireland
Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, incompatible with ECHR
• Ss providing immunity from prosecution for Troubles-related offences – Article
2 and Article 3
• Individual petitions to the ECHR
o Individuals those rights infringed by state, able to start own proceedings against the state
o Must be show that any domestic remedies existing first be exhausted
o There is a time limit – petition made within four months of final UK decision, highest UK court
with jurisdiction
• Two-stage process
o Admissibility stage and merits stage
o Admissibility stage
§ Single-judge formation can declare application inadmissible should inadmissibility be
obvious from the outset – no right to appeal against
§ Cases with well-established case law of Court, allocate to three-member Committee – rule
on admissibility, where it is admissible, final decision or judgement made
o Merits stage
§ Other cases, Chamber of seven judges, rule on admissibility, judgement given by
majority, judgment final after three months, there is potential to refer to Grand Chamber
§ In Grand Chamber, reconsideration of case and hold public hearing, judgement final
• Remedies
o Compensation
o Requiring state to change its law
o Decisions are binding as a matter of international law, no direct binding force on domestic law
§ Reliance on state willingness to comply with Convention and accept judgments
o UK usually complies
§ BUT, December 2020, Council of Europe (oversees ECHR), ‘profound concern’ at UK
government failure to enforce judgements by ECtHR surrounding security force killings
and suspected collusion cases in NI – violations of Art 2 found
§ Reiterated in September 2023
2
, o Committee of Minsters of the Council of Europe responsible for ensuring states comply with
judgments of ECtHR
General Principles under ECHR
• Subsidiarity
o Human rights primarily protected at national level
o System under ECHR subordinate to this
• Margin of appreciation doctrine
o Developed by ECtHR, included in ECHR from Aug 2021, Protocol 15
o Reflects that national authorities are better placed to evaluate local needs and conditions
o Respect of member states decisions, when legitimately reach different conclusion
o The margin is subject to supervision of ECtHR – review the decisions of the member states and
whether compatible to ECHR
o Extent of the margin of appreciation vary, depending on context
§ More important principle, narrower/no margin
§ No diverging views, e.g., moral issue, greater margin allowed
• Handyside v UK (1979) 1 EHRR 737 – Art 10 (freedom of expression) breach,
obscenity laws prohibited publication of sex education manual for children
• SAS v France (2014) 36 BHRC 617 – ban on wearing clothing designed to
conceal face in public breached Art 8 (private life) and Art 9 (religious/moral
belief)
o Views differed on in democratic societies, little agreement within
member states – wide margin, no violations
• Living instrument
o Generously interpreted, evolved with changing social conditions
o There is no strong system of precedent
o Criticism – too much power to unelected judges and member states have legal obligations did not
sign up to
Protection from discrimination
• All right and freedoms protected and applied without discrimination on any ground
o Sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national/social origin, association
with national minority, property, birth, other status
• Protection against discrimination, not freestanding, to rely on, need to show discrimination affected
enjoyment of one/more of other rights in Convention
o ‘must be within the ambit of another right’, applicant no need to show state breached right, R
(Castelluci) v Gender Recognition Panel [2024] EWHC 54 (Admin)
• This is for direct and indirect discrimination
Derogations
• Art 15, able to derogate from part of ECHR ‘in time of war or other public emergency threatening life
nation’
• For period of derogative, unable to apply specified provisions
o S 14 HRA 1998, statutory procedure for enacting derogation, part of UK law
o S 1 HRA 1998, Convention rights read subject to any such derogations – unable to enforce rights
when derogation operating
• Conditions limited power of derogation – only to extent that strictly necessary
• No derogation for Arts 3 (torture), 4(1) (slavery), 7 (retrospective criminal offenses)
• Art 2 (life) only derogated in respect of deaths resulting from lawful acts of war
• Some violations so wrong that no state should countenance them, even in wartime
• UK has issued derogations
o Art 5 (personal liberty), prevention of terrorism legislation in NI (expired) and Anti-terrorism
Crime and Security Act 2001
§ Latter quashed in HoL, A v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2004] UKHL 56
§ Removed derogation on enactment of Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
Ability to bring claim to ECHR (the same for all)
• The Human Rights Act 1998 gives effect to the ECHR in the UK
• S 6, unlawful for public authority to act in way incompatible with Convention rights
• S 7, claimant must be victim
3
, • S 6(1) HRA 1998, unlawful for public authority to act in way incompatible with Convention rights
• S 6(2) HRA 1998, does not apply if, as a result of Act of Parliament, authority could not have acted
differently or, is enforcing provisions of Act incompatible with ECHR
• There is a freestanding cause of action for breach of ECHR – relevant for judicial review cases, adds
grounds for challenge of administrative acts within
• R (Beer) v Hampshire Farmers Market Ltd – ‘public body’ and ‘public authority’ are synonymous
• Court is considered a public body
• Enforcement against private individuals
o Not expressly unlawful for private individual to infringe rights of others
o Effect is horizontal, not vertical
o Court considered public body – duty to apply convention
• S 6 and delegated legislation
o Courts are bound to apply Acts of Parliament incompatible with ECHR
o Judicial review available, s 6 HRA – set aside incompatible delegated legislation
o A v Home Sectretary – HoL quashed legislation made under s 14 HRA 1998
• S 7 HRA 1998, proceedings for breach only brought if they are the victim
• Includes individuals and non-gov organisations (companies, political parties, trade unions)
• Need be personally effected
• Pressure groups not victims, R (Adath Yisroel Burial Society) v HM Coroner for Inner North London
o BUT Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v Switzerland – may have standing to protect
against adverse effects of climate change
o Group must be
§ Lawfully established in relevant jurisdiction
§ Have purpose of defending human rights or members and others affected
§ Able to demonstrate it can be regarded as genuine qualified and representative to act on
behalf of such people
§ Relevant factors – not-for-profit, nature/extent of activates, membership and
representativeness, transparency of governance, whether grant of such standing is in
interests of proper administration of justice
• Cases can be brought by close relatives in certain situations, ‘indirect victims’ – e.g., Art 2 and 3, where
victim dead or disappeared into custody of the state, Van Colle v UK
• Proceedings need be brough in the appropriate court
o E.g. employment, in Employment Tribunal
• ECHR can be relied on in ‘any legal proceedings’, a breach can be raised as a defence
Section 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998
• S 8, compensation can only award damages where ‘necessary to afford just satisfaction’
• Many cases, not need for, as common law course of action
• Judicial review, courts often regard quashing order/other remedies just satisfaction
4
