We will rein in Strasbourg's human rights judges, pledges Tory minister: Grayling says Britain could pull out

of European Court as it has lost its legitimacy

The Tory Party will publish draft legislation over the next few months Grayling: 'Government won't act before election as Lib-Dems would oppose' Tories want to stem interference by ECHR in way they implement convention
By Tim Shipman PUBLISHED: 00:06, 31 December 2013 | UPDATED: 00:37, 31 December 2013

Britain could pull out of the European Court of Hum an Rights because it has lost its legitim acy, Chris Grayling announced yesterday

Britain could pull out of the European Court of Human Rights because it has lost its legitimacy, Chris Grayling announced yesterday. The Tory Party will publish draft legislation over the next few months to rein in the influence of the Strasbourg court, the Justice Secretary revealed. Mr Grayling admitted the Government will not act before the election because changes would be

opposed by the Liberal Democrats. But he said the Conservatives would go into the national poll with plans to curtail the role of the court in the UK, replace the Human Rights Act introduced by Labour and make the British Supreme Court supreme over UK law. Mr Grayling said he had no argument with the European Convention on Human Rights, the body of principles that Britain helped draw up after the Second World War. He praised its sensible balance of rights and responsibilities. But he said the Tories would act to stem the creeping tide of interference by the ECHR in the way they implement the convention. He told Radio 4s Today Programme: Whatever we try to do as a party because this is not an issue that unites the Coalition the Conservative Partys intention is to go into the next election with a clear plan for change. It is absolutely clear Parliament has the sovereign right to implement that change should it choose to do so. We have been looking at a number of options, of which leaving the Convention is one. Its not the only option we are considering and we will bring forward plans in the next few weeks which will set out very clearly what we will do and how we will do it. Later in the year we will publish a draft bill which will set out precisely how that legal change will take place. Mr Grayling spoke out after former Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge warned that the European Court of Human Rights is undermining Parliaments sovereignty.

The Tory Party w ill publish draft legislation over the 'next few m onths' to rein in the influence of the Strasbourg court, the Justice Secretary revealed

The Justice Secretary said: We have to curtail the role of the court in the UK, we have to replace the Human Rights Act, which as Lord Judge rightly says is one of the key reasons why the European Court of Human Rights seems to have such sway in the UK.

'We have got to ensure there is a balance of rights and responsibilities in our laws and that balance of rights and responsibilities does exist in the original convention. And above all, we have to make our Supreme Court supreme. I do not believe decisions about the way this country is governed we are a democracy after all should be taken elsewhere. Mr Grayling spoke out as one of the countrys leading retail bosses said the European Union had become hungry for power. Lord Wolfson, a Conservative peer, said that the EU needed to change in the direction of free trade rather than a government of governments. The question about whether we stay in or out depends on whether it changes enough, the Next boss told the Today programme.

Comments (18)
Share what you think Newest Oldest Best rated Worst rated View all manccowboy, Stockport, United Kingdom, 2 hours ago Might as well hold the election now seeing as the Tories keep bleating we are handcuffed to the lib-dems ........all talk

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Click to rate A Once Proud Patriot, Auckland - New Zealand, 2 hours ago Bla...bla...bla the usual untruthful weasel words of the ruling classes. Nobody will believe this twaddle and as always it will happen after the next election. I for one will vote for UKIP, as i cannot trust any of the main parties to tell the truth about anything.

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Click to rate John Baptist, raligeh, United States, 2 hours ago Tories Orwell 1984

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Click to rate Dene_B, South Ockendon, 2 hours ago The phrase "Fiddling while Rome burns" comes to mind. Surly its against the law for our elected leaders to make laws that stop the un-elected make laws for britons....!

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Tony Malony, UKIP Land, United Kingdom, 2 hours ago Some very simple rules one must get to grips with, never trust a weasel, and never trust a Tory, in fact I'd actually place my bets on the weasel in the truth department over a Tory! VOTE UKIP!

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Click to rate Chronicler, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, 2 hours ago TOO LATE! Have you seen what is heading our way in every bus, plane and train from Romania tomorrow. TOO BL00DY LATE!!

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Click to rate annoyed, London, 2 hours ago Don't talk about it Get on with it We are a sovereign nation I am British I do not want, or expect, to be governed by the EU

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Click to rate Oldtoosoon, London, United Kingdom, 2 hours ago The ECHR was right for its time, formed in 1959. But there are different issues now. This sovereign country simply can not have a foreign court forbidding it to deport foreigners who are convicted murderers, rapists, terrorists and illegals. Let the rest of Europe have it, in my opinion.

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Click to rate Tammy, London - England, 2 hours ago "Next few months" is TOO LONG! We've got one day left to lock our borders!!!

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Click to rate An Englishwoman, Newcastle UK-Tampa FL, 2 hours ago Less talk and more action...

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