Suella Braverman is among a growing number of Conservatives renewing calls to withdraw from the ECHR following the Irish government's legal move. Photo: TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS
Suella Braverman has called the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) an “obstacle to justice” as it has led to Tory calls for Britain to withdraw from the treaty following Ireland's legal threat to Troubles veterans.
The former Home Secretary responded to the Irish government's decision to challenge the main British law granting immunity to soldiers within the framework of the ECHR.
The UK said it “deeply” regretted Ireland's decision to challenge the Westminster legislation at the European Court of Human Rights.
In a post on Thursday on X (formerly Twitter), Ms Braverman said the government's decision vigorously defending one's position was the “right thing to do.”
“For years, brave British veterans have been persecuted in the courts. The fact that they fought terrorists, putting their lives at risk to protect others, does not matter. It is vital that the UK does everything it can to protect them now,” she wrote.
“Article 2 of the ECHR protects the right to life, and we all agree on that. However, Strasbourg jurisprudence has so far considered this to be an obstacle to justice and fairness. Another reason why we need to leave the ECHR.”
This is the right decision of the government.
For years, brave British veterans have been persecuted in the courts. That they fought terrorists, putting their lives at risk to protect others, does not matter.
It is vital that Britain does everything it can to protect them now. 1/2 https://t.co/AENkNPq2sW
— Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) December 21, 2023
The legal action has plunged London and Dublin into a bitter diplomatic row, while threatening to expose hundreds of former soldiers to historic persecution.
“Who runs this country?”< p>This led to renewed calls from right-wing forces. The Conservative Party is calling on the government to reconsider its membership of the ECHR. Rishi Sunak is trying to prevent the move by trying to push through his Rwanda Bill.
Mark Francois, chairman of the Conservative group ERG MPs who also campaigned for the Veterans Protection Act said: “Who actually runs this bloody country?”
Jonathan Gallis, a former Conservative minister, said that if the ECHR did not reject the Irish challenge, the UK should “withdraw from the ECHR to stop foreign courts interfering with our laws.”
Marco Longhi, candidate MP MP for Red Wall for Dudley North, said: “I have long believed that the ECHR, 70 years after its creation, is not fit for purpose in a completely new world, very different from the circumstances of 50, 60, 70 years ago.”
“This once again highlights the need to withdraw from the ECtHR, which would be my long-standing preference, and ensure that the UK has a gold-plated standard bill of rights, or deviates from such to the extent that foreign courts do not have sovereignty over UK ones citizens and the British legal system.
“This is what the country voted for in the 2016 Brexit referendum, taking back control of our money, our borders and our laws. This was further confirmed in the 2019 general elections. We need to put an end to this soon. Our parliament is sovereign.”
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