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[Text on screen]: Right to Peaceful Enjoyment of Property. Protocol 1, Article 1 of the Human Rights Act.

Whether personal possessions, houses, land or shares, we all have a right to enjoy the things we own without interference.

What does the Human Rights Act officially say?

“No one shall be deprived of his possessions.”

But what exactly does it mean?

Basically, everyone has the right to respect for their own property. We can peacefully enjoy our own property, as long as It doesn’t bother anyone else.

The protocol doesn’t just apply to individuals. It also includes the rights of companies and businesses, too. In come cases, the government must take reasonable steps to protect our property.

But there are some exceptions.

Under certain circumstances, Protocol 1, Article 1 can be limited. The government can take things you own, or restrict your use of them, so long as it is lawful and necessary. If property is taken away for good reason, the government should provide compensation.

Here are three key examples of what it does for us:

1. The government must take necessary and reasonable steps to protect property. (Oneryildiz case, 2004)
2. Protects an individual’s property and their right to enjoy it. (Broniowski case, 2005)
3. Businesses are protected, as well as people (Bank Mellatt case, 2014)

Personal property can take many forms, it’s important the government helps us look after it.

Learn more about your rights at www.eachother.org.uk

The right to peaceful enjoyment of property explained in 2 minutes!

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Published on 22 Feb 2022

This video is about Protocol 1, Article 1 of the Human Rights Act (HRA) which is the right to peaceful enjoyment of property. This right protects aspects such as possessions, land or housing, and they cannot be taken away without a good reason.

This video is part of a wider series showcasing the protections the HRA provides us and why they are so important in our daily lives. We’ve also curated a week of written content surrounding the proposed reform of the HRA so that you can stay informed and up to date on the latest developments.

The Human Rights Act is central to ensuring we can all live a safe and secure life. It sets out a range of principles that the government, and public bodies, must follow and uphold for all of us. If they fail to follow them, we have the ability to take our case to a UK court and, if our rights have been violated, we may be fairly compensated. The Human Rights Act has given us the ability to stand up to those in power.

But the Human Rights Act is under threat.

The government has announced plans to reform the HRA into a new British Bill of Rights, which lawyers and campaigners are concerned will shift more power in favour of the government, and weaken the protections we have available to us. We need to ensure that human rights are accessible and available for everyone, but we may risk losing those protections if the government’s reform comes into effect.

Want to learn more? Head on over to our spotlight to read more on the proposals to the HRA. You can find more videos in this HRA series in our YouTube playlist. 

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