What is the difference between the Human Rights Act and The European Convention of Human Rights?
The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is an international convention binding the members of an organisation called the Council of Europe which is a larger and more extensive body than the (more famous) European Union (it even includes Russia which is most surprising). The Convention governs the behaviour of States (Countries if you like) rather than individuals. If you feel that the UK has breached the rights given to you under the ECHR then you can take the UK to the European Court of Human Rights and (perhaps) obtain a ruling in your favour and often just satisfaction (money compensation). The Convention itself never gave you any rights within the UK or in front of a court in the UK. You could not appeal to the European Court of Human RIghts. UK Courts did sometimes take the ECHR into account when coming to their conclusions but only rarely and generaly only when other factors were equal. The Human Rights Act 1998 was passed to “bring home” the rights in the ECHR. It gives y
