Rights in Context: A Level Politics

Lecture Overview

• Focus on rights within UK politics for A levels.
• Covers essential knowledge, examples, analysis, and potential exam questions.
• Key topics: introduction to rights, Human Rights Act debates, civil liberties pressure groups, judiciary and parliament's role in defending rights, and key debates over rights.

Key Questions for Exam Preparation

1. How well are rights protected in the UK?
2. Comparison of different UK political systems in protecting rights:
   • Civil liberties pressure groups vs. Judiciary vs. Parliament and government.

Introduction to Rights in the UK

• Definition: Legally protected freedoms, also called civil liberties; absolute, universal, fundamental.
• Traditionally: Unwritten, negative rights – rights through non-prohibition.
• Post-1998: Human Rights Act introduces positive rights.

Key Rights Include:

• Fair and equal treatment under the law.
• Freedom of expression, conscience, and movement.
• Right to vote and associate (e.g., unions, political parties).
• Social rights: education, employment, healthcare, welfare.

Obligations

• Legal: Obeying law, paying taxes, jury service.
• Moral: Voting, environmental protection.

Key Milestones in Development of Rights

1. Magna Carta (1215): Limits royal power, right to trial by jury.
2. Bill of Rights: Post-Glorious Revolution, further restricts monarch.
3. European Convention on Human Rights: Post-WWII, allows appeal to European Court.
4. Human Rights Act (1998): Codifies rights into UK law, making them actionable in UK courts.
5. Freedom of Information Act: Increases transparency of the government.
6. Equality Act (2010): Combines anti-discrimination laws, identifies nine protected characteristics.

Civil Liberties Pressure Groups

Key Groups:

1. Stonewall: LGBT rights, insider strategy with Labour, successful legislative changes.
2. Care4Calais: Refugee rights, legal challenges against UK-Rwanda deportations.
3. Liberty: General civil liberties, challenges investigatory powers, electronic surveillance.
4. Howard League for Penal Reform: Prisoner rights, limited success due to public perception.

Judiciary's Role in Defending Rights

• Judicial Review: Judges review legality of decisions/actions by public bodies.
• Criticism: Unelected judges may hold too much power.

Parliament and Government in Rights Protection

• Legislation: Introduces laws like Human Rights Act, Equality Act.
• Criticism: Recent laws (e.g., Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act) seen as infringing on rights.

Debates Over Rights

Individual vs. Collective Rights

• Terrorism: Balancing individual civil liberties with national security.
• COVID-19: Lockdowns as a precedent for restricting individual rights.

Effectiveness of Rights Protection

• Arguments For: Equality before law, effective civil liberties pressure groups.
• Arguments Against: Conservative legislation erosion, non-representative Judiciary, affordability of legal representation.

Essay Preparation

• Plan essays around key debates and comparisons of rights protection effectiveness by different entities (e.g., Parliament vs. Judiciary).
• Utilize real-world examples and pressure group case studies for evidence.

Resources

• Access additional resources, essay plans, and tutoring via Politics Explained website.

These notes provide a comprehensive overview of rights in the context of UK politics, crucial for A level exam preparation. Ensure to delve deeper into the provided legislation and key court cases as examples for essays.