[Text on screen]: It’s Human Rights Day 2016. We are celebrating our homegrown human rights law -the Human Rights Act.

The Human Rights Act means we can enforce our rights in local courts. It has been part of UK law for over 15 years.

But how does it work?

In the Human Rights Act is a list of fundamental rights. They help make society fair, just, and equal- like the right to life, the right to a fair trial, and to freedom of speech.

Public authorities have a duty to protect our rights. If they don’t we can take them to court.

The courts can even say the law itself breaches our rights. The state must investigate when our rights are violated. This has helped many people to get justice.


The Hillsborough disaster families forced a new investigation. The new inquest found the 96 were unlawfully killed.


The Human Rights Act has also changed how police treat rape victims. Two women complained of rape but the police ignored them. A court said the police had failed their duty to investigate.


And when a disabled man called Steven was kept in a care home against his will, his dad used the Human Rights Act to bring him home.


So this Human Rights Day let’s celebrate the Human Rights Act.

The government wants to replace it with a ‘British Bill of Rights’.

Knowing our rights is the first step to protecting them.