Examining 10 reasons to stay in the European Convention on Human Rights: informing public debate in the UK
Discussion paper
Donald, A., Leach, P., Cali, B., Grogan, J. and Adelmant, V. 2025. Examining 10 reasons to stay in the European Convention on Human Rights: informing public debate in the UK. Oxford, UK Bonavero Institute of Human Rights .
| Type | Discussion paper |
|---|---|
| Title | Examining 10 reasons to stay in the European Convention on Human Rights: informing public debate in the UK |
| Authors | Donald, A., Leach, P., Cali, B., Grogan, J. and Adelmant, V. |
| Abstract | 2025 marks two significant anniversaries: the 75th year of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and 25 years since the Human Rights Act (HRA) gave legal effect to the Convention in the UK. This year has also seen proposals made by Reform UK and the Conservative Party to take the UK out of the ECHR, a step no democracy has ever taken. The pro-withdrawal narrative has been amplified in media reporting which, analysis reveals, is overwhelmingly negative about the ECHR and HRA and dominated by often inaccurate or misleading reporting of the purported impact of the ECHR on immigration control. This report identifies and examines 10 reasons why the UK should stay in the ECHR, and addresses the counterarguments, based on a comprehensive review of evidence derived from a wide range of sources. These include the everyday practice of public authorities, UK law and constitutional arrangements, case law of UK courts and the European Court of Human Rights, UK and Council of Europe institutional arrangements, UK domestic and foreign policy, international treaties including the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement as well as post-Brexit agreements, and academic and other expert literature. |
| Keywords | ECHR; Human Rights Act; democracy; Northern Ireland; accountability; positive obligations; living instrument |
| Sustainable Development Goals | 16 Peace, justice and strong institutions |
| Middlesex University Theme | Health & Wellbeing |
| Research Group | Law and Politics |
| Publisher | Bonavero Institute of Human Rights |
| Place of publication | Oxford, UK |
| Publication dates | |
| 10 Dec 2025 | |
| Publication process dates | |
| Accepted | 11 Nov 2025 |
| Deposited | 16 Dec 2025 |
| Output status | Published |
| Additional information | Bonavero Report 5/2025 |
| Web address (URL) | https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/examining-10-reasons-to-stay-in-the-echr/examining-10-reasons-stay-european-convention-human-rights |
https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/3127y2
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