Kelly Stuart 11/03/2022 News

If you’ve been watching Facebook, Twitter and our News section lately, you will already know there’s been a lot happening with the Human Rights Act consultation.

Last week we were busy working with the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) and other partners about the poor accessibility of the consultation.

Thank you to the BIHR, organisations and members who supported this work by signing the letter to the Human Rights Committee.

Thanks to Rook Irwin Sweeney Solicitors, BIHR, Pembrokeshire People First, My Life My Choice, and Warrington Speak Up for their action on a Solicitor’s letter to Dominic Raab, Secretary of State for Justice.

You really did make a difference and our voices were heard. There have been some positive outcomes so far.

1. A new Easy Read version of the consultation was published on 8th March 2022
2. The deadline has been extended to 19th April 2022 for people who need to use Easy Read or Audio versions and for groups who support people who use these versions
3. Over the next few weeks the Ministry of Justice will hold roundtable meetings to clarify the consultation with disability groups

If you still want to respond to the consultation before 19th April you must email HRAreform@justice.gov.uk to ask for an extension.

Please let us know if you receive a reply saying that you are not allowed an extension.

Keep watching our Facebook, Twitter and website news section for more news on the Human Rights consultation.

Here is some text which the BIHR has said you could use in an email asking for an extension to reply to the Human Rights Act consultation:

“To the Ministry of Justice,

My name is [your name] and I would like to ask for an extension until 19 April 2022 to share my views on the consultation on Human Rights Act Reform. This is because I need the Easy Read/ audio version [delete one of these options if it is not right for you] of the document to respond.

If I am not allowed this extension, I would like you to tell me the reason why.

Thank you,

[your name]”