Abu Qatada Debate

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Department: Home Office

Abu Qatada

Charlie Elphicke Excerpts
Tuesday 7th February 2012

(12 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Theresa May Portrait Mrs May
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We have the opportunity, particularly with the six-month presidency of the Council of Europe, to bring other countries around the table to discuss the possibility of reform and we hope to achieve agreement on reforms that might be possible. We should be putting our energies into looking at how the European Court operates and at reasonable reform of how it operates.

Charlie Elphicke Portrait Charlie Elphicke (Dover) (Con)
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Does the Home Secretary agree that entrenching the convention by the Human Rights Act was a catastrophic error on the part of the previous Labour Government? Will she set out a process that she will follow to take us towards a British Bill of Rights?

Theresa May Portrait Mrs May
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I have made my views on the Human Rights Act clear, but I also point out that even before that Act we were signatories to the European convention and subject to the European Court of Human Rights. On the process of reforms towards a possible Bill of Rights, a commission is examining a possible UK Bill of Rights. It was set up by my right hon. and learned Friend the Justice Secretary and the Deputy Prime Minister, and I believe that it is due to report before the end of this year.