Human rights a charter for criminals, say 75% of Britons

NEARLY three quarters of Britons think human rights have become a ‘charter for criminals’, a poll has revealed.

It showed a strong majority of 72 per cent hold negative views about the role of human rights laws.

Only one in six said human rights had not become a charter for criminals and the undeserving.

The Yougov poll, published today, will heap pressure on ministers to secure major reforms to the European Court of Human Rights.

This week all 47 member states of the Council of Europe, the governing body of the controversial Strasbourg court, will meet in the UK to discuss proposed changes.

Britain has the chairmanship of the council until later this year and ministers want to secure a deal which would diminish the role of the court and give greater powers

‘Flaws in the system’

to Parliament and British courts. The survey asked if respondents agreed with the statement ‘ human rights have become a charter for criminals and the undeserving’.

The replies showed 45 per cent strongly agreed, while 27 per cent said they ‘tended to agree’.

Of the remainder, 10 per cent said they tended to disagree while 6 per cent strongly disagreed. Ten per cent did not know.

The remaining 2 per cent is accounted for by rounding up the figures.

The poll of 2,000 showed strong majorities among voters from all parties, including the Lib Dems, who are strong backers of the court.

Nearly half of 18 to 24- year- olds criticised human rights, compared with 19 per cent against.

The survey was commissioned by the Policy Exchange think tank. Last week the ECHR rejected a case brought by hate preacher Abu Hamza, who is fighting extradition to the U.S. on terror charges.

The court ruled it was safe to send him across the Atlantic for trial.

But earlier this year it ruled against the Government in the case of Abu Qatada, the fanatic once described as ‘ Osama Bin Laden’s right hand man in Europe’.

It said it would not be safe to send him back to Jordan, where he is wanted for terrorism offences, because he would not face a fair trial. Ministers are expected to announce tomorrow that they will not appeal the Qatada ruling, as they are close to a deal with Jordan which would allow the radical preacher to be put on a plane.

But Qatada could use the decision to go back to court and demand he be given unrestricted bail.

Currently he must stay at home for 22 hours a day and wear an electronic tag.

Yesterday it emerged he had managed to communicate on the phone with a convicted terrorist in Jordan.

Abu Mohammed al-tahawi, a Jordanian extremist, told a newspaper he had been speaking to Qatada.

It is thought bail conditions mean Qatada is not restricted in who he can talk to on his land line.

Blair Gibbs, head of crime and justice at Policy Exchange said: ‘ The Qatada ruling highlights the flaws in the current system.

‘ Ignoring the European court is not a realistic option but neither is complying with rulings that overturn judgments of our own courts.

‘Sooner or later we will need a new human rights settlement that gives the final say to the UK Supreme Court and our own Parliament.’

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