The Human Rights Act Published: 15 November 2018 Last updated: 15 November 2018 On this page The human rights that are covered by the Act Articles 1 and 13 What the Human Rights Act does 1. You can seek justice in a British court 2. Public bodies must respect your rights 3. New laws are compatible with Convention rights Pages in this guide The Human Rights Act Article 2: Right to life Article 3: Freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment Article 4: Freedom from slavery and forced labour Article 5: Right to liberty and security Article 6: Right to a fair trial Article 7: No punishment without law Article 8: Respect for your private and family life Article 9: Freedom of thought, belief and religion Article 10: Freedom of expression Article 11: Freedom of assembly and association Article 12: Right to marry Article 14: Protection from discrimination Article 1 of the First Protocol: Protection of property Article 1 of Protocol 13: Abolition of the death penalty Article 2 of the First Protocol: Right to education Article 3 of the First Protocol: Right to free elections Related information Related pages on this site Print or save this page What countries does this apply to? England England Scotland Scotland Wales Wales The Human Rights Act 1998 (the Act) sets out the fundamental rights and freedoms that everyone in the UK is entitled to. It incorporates the rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) into domestic British law. The Human Rights Act came into force in the UK in October 2000. The human rights that are covered by the Act The Act sets out your human rights in a series of ‘Articles’. Each Article deals with a different right. These are all taken from the ECHR and are commonly known as ‘the Convention Rights’: Article 2: Right to life Article 3: Freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment Article 4: Freedom from slavery and forced labour Article 5: Right to liberty and security Article 6: Right to a fair trial Article 7: No punishment without law Article 8: Respect for your private and family life, home and correspondence Article 9: Freedom of thought, belief and religion Article 10: Freedom of expression Article 11: Freedom of assembly and association Article 12: Right to marry and start a family Article 14: Protection from discrimination in respect of these rights and freedoms Protocol 1, Article 1: Right to peaceful enjoyment of your property Protocol 1, Article 2: Right to education Protocol 1, Article 3: Right to participate in free elections Protocol 13, Article 1: Abolition of the death penalty Articles 1 and 13 Articles 1 and 13 of the ECHR do not feature in the Act. This is because, by creating the Human Rights Act, the UK has fulfilled these rights. For example, Article 1 says that states must secure the rights of the Convention in their own jurisdiction. The Human Rights Act is the main way of doing this for the UK. Article 13 makes sure that if people’s rights are violated they are able to access effective remedy. This means they can take their case to court to seek a judgment. The Human Rights Act is designed to make sure this happens. What the Human Rights Act does The Act has three main effects: 1. You can seek justice in a British court It incorporates the rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) into domestic British law. This means that if your human rights have been breached, you can take your case to a British court rather than having to seek justice from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. 2. Public bodies must respect your rights It requires all public bodies (like courts, police, local authorities, hospitals and publicly funded schools) and other bodies carrying out public functions to respect and protect your human rights. 3. New laws are compatible with Convention rights In practice it means that Parliament will nearly always make sure that new laws are compatible with the rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights (although ultimately Parliament is sovereign and can pass laws which are incompatible). The courts will also, where possible, interpret laws in a way which is compatible with Convention rights. Find out more about human rights and how they play a part in our everyday lives: what are human rights? Download a full copy of the Human Rights Act. Page updates Published: 15 November 2018 Last updated: 15 November 2018 Next page Article 2: Right to life Related pages on this site What are human rights? Share this Linkedin X Facebook Email Back to the top