The Human Rights Act 1998 was one of the first pieces of legislation passed by New Labour. Some ministers beieve that it is the greatest thing that they have done, whereas others view it as a dangerous mistake. This volume explains what the Act is about, where it fits into Britain's constitutional tradition, and explores whether or not it has achieved its goals.

C. Gearty is Rausing Director of the Centre for the Study of Human Rights, and Professor of Human Rights Law, London School of Economics and Political Science. He is a founder member of Matrix Chambers, from where he continues to practice law.

• I Introduction


• 1: Making Sense of the Human Rights Act


• 2: The Impossible Demand: Human Rights and Representative Democracy


• II The Core Principles


• 3: The Principle of Respect for Civil Liberties


• 4: The Principle of Legality


• 5: The Principle of Human Dignity


• III Applying the Core Principles


• 6: The Aspiration of Institutional Competence


• 7: The Aspiration of Proportionate Intrusion


• 8: The Aspiration of Analytical Coherence


• IV Conclusion


• 9: Judging the Human Rights Act