Resources: New eBook and short films explore Human Rights Act
The British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) have launched a new set of films and an eBook exploring the Human Rights Act, its role in our democracy, and its achievements in protecting our human rights over the 15 years it has been in force.
The government has promised to ‘scrap’ the Human Rights Act and replace it with a British Bill of Rights. With a consultation paper asking for people’s views on this issue later this spring, it’s more important than ever that each and every one of us understands what our Human Rights Act is and how it works, and what we stand to lose if it is scrapped.
Whether you’re a third sector professional developing a human rights approach to the work you do, a teacher who would like your students to learn more about their human rights, or an individual who’s passionate about human rights and civil liberties, you’ll find these resources useful.
Getting with the Act, new eBook
Getting with the Act is a whistlestop tour of where human rights come from, the European Convention and Court of Human Rights, and our own Human Rights Act here in the UK. It reflects on how power works in our democracy, the rights guaranteed to us under the law, and the mechanisms in the HRA that make sure our rights are protected and respected, as well as the remedies available to us when they aren’t.
short films
BIHR have also produced a series of engaging films, each of which focuses on a different aspect of their work.
Young people: how our Human Rights Act works for you is a short introduction to the human rights we all enjoy, and how they are protected by the HRA. This film also includes real-life examples of how the HRA has changed the lives of young people for the better.
Our Human Rights Act explained in 2 minutes is aimed at adults, and sets out the history of our human rights protections, from the European Convention on Human Rights, backed by Winston Churchill after WWII, to the passing of the HRA by Parliament in 1998 with cross-party support.
Introducing the British Institute of Human Rights tells the story of BIHR’s founding more than 40 years ago, their mission to bring human rights to life here at home, and the work their dedicated staff team carries out every day to make that mission a reality.
Bringing human rights to life captures a range of reflections on the Human Rights Act from independent mental capacity advocates, third sector workers and mental health service providers.
