Sinn Féin MLA Emma Sheerin said it is deplorable that the British government continue to push their anti-rights agenda through plans to repeal the Human Rights Act.

Emma Sheerin said:

“It is a damning indictment of Britain, which will be recognised globally, that Boris Johnson’s government would take such extreme measures to avoid accountability from an independent court.

“The Tories are threatening to revoke the very Convention that protects our right to vote, to freedom of speech and to a fair trial. 

”The European Convention of Human Rights underpins the Good Friday Agreement and this is another attempt by the British government to override their international obligations and leave themselves accountable to no one. 

“We still don’t have a Bill of Rights for the north as promised in the Good Friday Agreement, which would have protected us in this situation. Now, we will lose access to the European Court that has provided key judgements in legacy cases.

“The British Government’s agenda not only threatens our human rights, but also our peace agreement.”