§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will introduce legislation authorising United Kingdom courts to give direct effect to decisions of the European Court of Human Rights finding breaches by the United Kingdom of the European Convention on Human Rights; and if not, why not.[HL2497]
121WA
§ The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)The Government are bound by Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights to abide by any judgment of the European Court of Human Rights to which the United Kingdom is a party. Under Section 10(2) of the Human Rights Act 1998 if, after a finding of the European Court of Human Rights, it appears to a Minister that a provision of United Kingdom legislation is incompatible with the convention, then the Minister may make such amendments to the legislation as is considered necessary to remove the incompatibility. We see no reason to amend the arrangements made so recently by Parliament.