Human Rights - Illusory Freedom
by Luke Gittos

A progressive argument for repealing the Human Rights Act.

A progressive argument for repealing the Human Rights Act.

Contrary to contemporary panic around human rights repeal, Human Rights - Illusory Freedom puts a progressive case against the Human Rights Act. It describes how human rights arose as a new language for western governments following the collapse in their collective authority in the aftermath of World War 2 and shows how the UK Human Rights Act has presided over a catastrophic loss of freedom, which continued a process which began with the Tory party in the 1970s. Human Rights - Illusory Freedom makes a positive case for restoring control over our traditional freedoms to the electorate and away from unaccountable Judges in the UK Courts and the European Court of Human Rights.

Reviews:
When the topic of human rights peeks through the headlines, garnering action and progressive debate, my ears are at attention. Luke has penned a treatise on freedom, touching on the enigma revolving around the mosaic of ethicolegal concerns where human rights is center stage. He skillfully expounds upon various arguments and presents a strong case for the restoration and subsequent handing over of the control to those who hold freedom in high esteem.

Highly recommended for readers with an acute interest in international human rights and the legislative history and present dynamic stimulating the debates. ~ Erica Watkins, NetGalley

Luke Gittos’ has a very radical message: human rights grant an illusory freedom and are a weak guarantee for a free society. The main idea, shared by the vast majority of people, is that human rights laws are a step towards realizing a universal respect for human dignity and a way to prevent the repeat of evils in the past. Gittos demonstrates that human rights laws are contributing to the erosion of civil liberties and are increasing the arbitrary interference by the state in people’s lives.

In the UK, the Human Rights Act, passed as a response to a crisis in public confidence in democratic institutions, gave greater control over civil liberties to the judiciary. It expanded police powers of stop and search, the state’s surveillance power and restrictions on liberty. People, therefore, are less able to defend themselves against state power.

Limitations on civil liberties in response to terrorism show how freedom is highly precarious in the modern age. Even human rights organizations are giving a distorted image of freedom. They present themselves as an insurance policy against the repeat of previous catastrophes and as supporters of a fair, just and equal society, but claim that sometimes it is legitimate to place limits on certain freedoms.

What Gittos believes is that it is necessary the repeal of the Human Rights Act, because it has done nothing to help vulnerable people and it protects a narrow and deeply qualified (with restrictions) idea of freedom. He suggests that it is fundamental to place the meanings of important freedoms back on the table for public debate and to roll back the role of judiciary in assessing, challenging and undermining policies and decisions made by elected representatives. ~ Francesco Camodeca , NetGalley

Excellent summary of all the rights I’ve lost since way before I was born, lol. Highly recommended for all people who would like to have rights, or at least want to know where they went. ~ Tala Schwa, NetGalley