What rights do you have?
The Human Rights Act 1998 enshrines fundamental rights and freedoms that protect everyone in the UK and imposes duties and responsibilities on all public authorities.
These rights include:
- Right to life
- Protection from inhuman and degrading treatment and torture
- Right to liberty
- Right to respect for private and family law
A public authority cannot allow these rights to be breached without a lawful basis.
What are human rights violations?
The Human Rights Act 1998 enshrines fundamental rights and freedoms that protect everyone in the UK from the abuse of power. Public bodies such as the police, schools and local authorities all have a duty to make sure these rights are protected.
However, despite the provisions of the Human Rights Act violations do still occur. Some of the most common types include:
- Death in custody: for example, if a patient under mental health services has taken their life due to inadequate treatment or provisions for their care.
- Unlawful detention: This is when you are unlawfully deprived of your liberty and restrictions have been imposed on how you are able to live your life. For example, when someone has been detained in a care home while asking to return to their family, where a care package could have been set up to meet their needs.
- Physical and sexual abuse or neglect: for example, where a Local Authority has failed to protect a child from harm by taking them into care and the child was exposed to abuse and neglect at home.
- Interference with private and family life: for example, a family being separated unlawfully or disclosure of your personal information to other people without their consent.
These violations can occur through state actions, public authorities or government institutions. Whether by accident or deliberate action, these human rights breaches can have a profound impact on your life. It’s vital to hold these public bodies accountable when they fail to uphold human rights standards.