Demonstrating that the state of civil liberties and human rights in the United Kingdom are quite perilous, ...">
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Political Science Human Rights

The Human Rights Act and the Assault on Liberty

Rights and Asylum in the UK

by (author) Parnesh Sharma

Publisher
Nottingham University Press
Initial publish date
Oct 2011
Category
Human Rights, Great Britain
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781908062628
    Publish Date
    Oct 2011
    List Price
    $25.00

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P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal>Demonstrating that the state of civil liberties and human rights in the United Kingdom are quite perilous, this case study looks at the role of rights vis-à-vis social change and culture. Empirically examining the Human Rights Act (HRA), with asylum serving as the main case study, the book focuses on law in action, based on extensive fieldwork and framed against current events. It also discusses the role of Section 55?a law enacted at the same time as the HRA that was an antithesis of what the HRA promised and which forced thousands of asylum-seekers into destitution. Though Section 55 was eventually defeated, asylum-seekers in the UK are still powerless and marginalized. The book argues that the HRA has proven to be ineffective against illiberal policies and that the development of a culture of rights, as far as asylum is concerned, has stalled. This thoughtful analysis of the use of rights laws to advance social causes presents both potential and pitfalls, making it useful for sociologists, activists, and nongovernmental organizations.

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