Politics

The controversial Bill of Rights has been ‘shelved’ and people are thrilled

The controversial Bill of Rights has been ‘shelved’ and people are thrilled

Related video: Dominic Raab refuses to add women's right to choose on abortion to Bill of Rights

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Dominic Raab’s controversial Bill of Rights Bill - yes, it was actually called that - has reportedly been “shelved” by Liz Truss’s government, and campaigners are overjoyed.

The former justice secretary’s draft legislation, dubbed the ‘Rights Removal Bill’ by critics, would have scrapped the Human Rights Act in favour of a British Bill of Rights determined by the Conservative government.

Because that doesn’t sound terrifying at all.

However, according to The Sun’s Harry Cole, the first cabinet of Ms Truss’s premiership “agreed to shelve” the plans, ahead of it returning to the Commons next week.

A senior government source told the outlet: “The bill is a mess and it’s not going to come back in anything like its current form.”

Though because a direct confirmation would be embarrassing, apparently the official line from government about the fate of the bill is that it will be “reviewed”.

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While some have met the news with apprehension, others have describe it as a “victory” for those opposed to it:

However, while the legislation may indeed be trashed, former attorney general Suella Braverman has called on government ministers to “take radical action” against the influence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg.

She’s now our home secretary, by the way.

Opposition to the ECtHR intensified earlier this year, when the first government deportation flight to Rwanda was abandoned in June following a successful intervention by the European court.

Priti Patel, the former home secretary, said at the time: “It is very surprising that the European Court of Human Rights has intervened despite repeated earlier success in our domestic courts.

“These repeated “These repeated legal barriers are similar to those we experience with other removals flights and many of those removed from this flight will be placed on the next.

“We will not be deterred from doing the right thing and delivering our plans to control our nation’s borders.”

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