The Law Society has added its voice to those opposing the creation of a UK bill of rights. Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, the Society’s president proposed instead that 'constitutional rights' be added to existing laws.
In a statement published after the government’s Commission on a Bill of Rights reported its recommendations, the Society said that the Human Rights Act should be amended to give the public a set of constitutional rights such as economic, social and education rights.
Scott-Moncrieff said: 'The current laws, while protecting valuable rights that any democracy should have in place, can be supplemented so that constitutional rights covering a range of other aspects of our lives are protected.
'Why can't families up and down the country have rights enshrined in law that are relevant to them? We need a public debate around whether certain economic and social rights, such as education, health, employment and adequate housing, possibly even consumer rights, should be added to the existing law to add to our constitutional rights.
‘With that must come a clearer explanation about what those rights mean for the public as they go about their everyday lives. Let’s adapt the current laws to reflect that, rather than go into the unknown with a new bill of rights.'
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