Constitution of the United Kingdom 1215, as amended to 2013
Status of International Law
  • English
    (1) A court or tribunal determining a question which has arisen in connection with a Convention right13 must take into account any—
    (a) judgment, decision, declaration or advisory opinion of the European Court of Human Rights,
    (b) opinion of the Commission given in a report adopted under Article 31 of the Convention,
    (c) decision of the Commission in connection with Article 26 or 27(2) of the Convention, or
    (d) decision of the Committee of Ministers taken under Article 46 of the Convention, whenever made or given, so far as, in the opinion of the court or tribunal, it is relevant to the proceedings in which that question has arisen.
    … (Human Rights Act 1998, Sec. 2)
Status of International Law
  • English
    (1) So far as it is possible to do so, primary legislation and subordinate legislation must be read and given effect in a way which is compatible with the Convention rights.
    (2) This section—
    (a) applies to primary legislation and subordinate legislation whenever enacted;
    (b) does not affect the validity, continuing operation or enforcement of any incompatible primary legislation; and
    (c) does not affect the validity, continuing operation or enforcement of any incompatible subordinate legislation if (disregarding any possibility of revocation) primary legislation prevents removal of the incompatibility. (Human Rights Act 1998, Sec. 3)
Status of International Law
  • English
    (1) It is unlawful for a public authority to act in a way which is incompatible with a Convention right.
    (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to an act if—
    (a) as the result of one or more provisions of primary legislation, the authority could not have acted differently; or
    (b) in the case of one or more provisions of, or made under, primary legislation which cannot be read or given effect in a way which is compatible with the Convention rights, the authority was acting so as to give effect to or enforce those provisions.
    (3) In this section “public authority” includes—
    (a) a court or tribunal, and
    (b) any person certain of whose functions are functions of a public nature, but does not include either House of Parliament or a person exercising functions in connection with proceedings in Parliament.
    (4) ...
    (5) In relation to a particular act, a person is not a public authority by virtue only of subsection (3) (b) if the nature of the act is private.
    (6) “An act” includes a failure to act but does not include a failure to—
    (a) introduce in, or lay before, Parliament a proposal for legislation; or
    (b) Make any primary legislation or remedial order. (Human Rights Act 1998, Sec. 6)
Status of International Law
  • English
    ...
    (4) In determining—
    (a) whether to award damages, or
    (b) the amount of an award, the court must take into account the principles applied by the European Court of Human Rights in relation to the award of compensation under Article 41 of the Convention.
    … (Human Rights Act 1998, Sec. 8)
Status of International Law
  • English
    (1) This section applies if—

    (b) it appears to a Minister of the Crown or Her Majesty in Council that, having regard to a finding of the European Court of Human Rights made after the coming into force of this section in proceedings against the United Kingdom, a provision of legislation is incompatible with an obligation of the United Kingdom arising from the Convention.
    (2) If a Minister of the Crown considers that there are compelling reasons for proceeding under this section, he may by order make such amendments to the legislation as he considers necessary to remove the incompatibility.
    (3) If, in the case of subordinate legislation, a Minister of the Crown considers—
    (a) that it is necessary to amend the primary legislation under which the subordinate legislation in question was made, in order to enable the incompatibility to be removed, and
    (b) that there are compelling reasons for proceeding under this section, he may by order make such amendments to the primary legislation as he considers necessary.
    … (Human Rights Act 1998, Sec. 10)
1
Constitution of the United Kingdom 1215, as amended to 2013. The United Kingdom does not possess a codified "constitution" but an unwritten one consisting of Acts of Parliament, court judgments and conventions (English) and the British Nationality Act 1981 (English). UN Women database provisions are based on these sources.
Links to all sites last visited 31 March 2021
2
As amended by British Overseas Act 2002 and Treaty of Lisbon (Changes in Terminology) Order 2011.
3
As amended by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.
4
As amended by Civil Partnership Act 2004.
5
As amended by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, and Immigration Act 2014.
6
As amended by Constitutional Reform Act 2005, Armed Forces Act 2006, Mental Capacity Act 2005, and Crime and Courts Act 2013.
7
Hereinafter ECHR.
8
As amended by Scotland Act 2016.
9
According to Sec. 1: (1) “In this Act “the Convention rights” means the rights and fundamental freedoms set out in—(a) Articles 2 to 12 and 14 of the Convention,(b) Articles 1 to 3 of the First Protocol, and(c) Article 1 of the Thirteenth Protocol as read with Articles 16 to 18 of the Convention.(2) Those Articles are to have effect for the purposes of this Act subject to any designated derogation or reservation (as to which see sections 14 and 15) (3) The Articles are set out in Schedule 1. …”
10
As amended by Constitutional Reform Act 2005, Armed Forces Act 2006, and Mental Capacity Act 2005, Crime and Courts Act 2013.
11
Also refer to Act of Settlement 1701.
12
As amended by Succession to the Crown Act 2013.
13
According to Sec. 1: (1) “In this Act “the Convention rights” means the rights and fundamental freedoms set out in—(a) Articles 2 to 12 and 14 of the Convention,(b) Articles 1 to 3 of the First Protocol, and(c) Article 1 of the Thirteenth Protocol as read with Articles 16 to 18 of the Convention.(2) Those Articles are to have effect for the purposes of this Act subject to any designated derogation or reservation (as to which see sections 14 and 15). (3) The Articles are set out in Schedule 1. …”