Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is on reforming the European Convention on Human Rights; and if he will make a statement.

The Government has no plans to reform the European Convention of Human Rights.

The Government is however committed to reform of the European Court of Human Rights and the process used by those invoking the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Brighton Declaration, agreed under the UK Chairmanship of the Council of Europe in April 2012, was a broad package of measures to reform the Court. Key points agreed in Brighton to define better the boundaries when the Court should and should not be involved in cases are now being implemented. Protocol 15 to the Convention, which helps define these boundaries and shortens the timeframe for application to the Court, will help the Court fulfil the purpose for which it was intended: to deal with the most serious violations of human rights.