Scrapping the HRA attempt on its way

Michael Gove will oversee Conservative plans to scrap the Human Rights Act. The former Chief Whip has returned to a frontline Cabinet role as justice secretary. His department will draw up plans to replace the European legislation with a British Bill of Rights. He replaces Chris Grayling, who goes into a new role as leader of the House.

Source: The Week

The Ministry of Justice has taken a beating over the last few years in terms of 25% spending cuts. Chris Grayling was vilified for his often daft and crude looking attacks on Legal Aid. Legal Aid is an easy target though as the criminal defence world is hardly a vote winner. More huge cuts are coming and this time it is Michael Gove who has the very difficult task of implementing them without affecting the quality of the justice system. Frankly I think it's impossible to cut further without further damaging the system.

The other Govian task of scrapping the HRA will be just as tricky as the cuts. The legal community will in the main oppose it and they will be joined by many liberal minded people. Creating a British Bill of Rights will be very very hard to do as there will be arguments over what should be in it all the way and hundreds and hundreds of years of history is involved. The one advantage he will have is that plenty of work has already been done on a new Bill of Rights in the last decade.

It will all make more news than they expect.