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Human Rights Law in the UK

Human Rights Law in the UK

Human Rights Law in the UK

Themes and Principles
Kirsty Hughes, University of Cambridge
Stevie Martin, University of Cambridge
Stephanie Palmer, University of Cambridge
September 2025
Not yet published - available from September 2025
Paperback
9781009095457
£49.99
GBP
Paperback
GBP
Hardback

    This book offers a rich analysis of many aspects of human rights law in the UK and the European legal framework while also including critiques of human rights and the varying conceptions of rights. This book has the advantage of engaging with both Strasbourg caselaw, domestic jurisprudence and the academic scholarship. The issues covered are the right to life, the prohibition of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, abortion and assisted dying, modern slavery and human trafficking, terrorism, immigration, privacy, hate speech, protest, religion, equality and non-discrimination.

    • The nature of rights and their critiques is established at the outset of the book, providing a strong foundation for nuanced and analytical analysis of key human rights issues
    • The domestic law and ECHR frameworks are examined in detail, highlighting the interplay between the two systems and the ways in which different issues have been resolved – not always consistently – within the two spheres
    • Key issues such as abortion, assisted dying, modern slavery and human trafficking, terrorism, privacy, hate speech and non-discrimination are examined from the point of view of both domestic law and the ECHR, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which courts in different jurisdictions have conceptualised rights and applied them to contemporary issues

    Product details

    September 2025
    Paperback
    9781009095457
    550 pages
    244 × 170 mm
    Not yet published - available from September 2025

    Table of Contents

    • Foreword Lady Hale
    • Preface
    • Table of cases
    • 1. The nature of rights and critiques of human rights
    • 2. The human rights law framework in the UK
    • 3. The European human rights framework
    • 4. The right to life
    • 5. Freedom from torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
    • 6. Human rights at the beginning and end of life: abortion, withdrawal/refusal of treatment and assisted dying
    • 7. Modern slavery and human trafficking
    • 8. Terrorism
    • 9. Article 8 echr and immigration
    • 10. Privacy and freedom of expression
    • 11. Hate speech
    • 12. The right to protest
    • 13. Freedom of thought, conscience and religion
    • 14. Non-discrimination and equality
    • Index.
      Authors
    • Kirsty Hughes , University of Cambridge

      Kirsty Hughes is an Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge Faculty of Law, Director of the Centre for Public Law, and a member of Blackstone Chambers Academic Panel. She is joint General Editor of the European Human Rights Law Review and Deputy Editor of Public Law. Her research has been awarded the Wedderburn Prize and has been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada, the Court of Appeal in England and Wales, and by parliamentary committees. She has also given oral evidence in the House of Lords. She has been the recipient of numerous research fellowships including at UNSW, EUI, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Harvard Law School. She has also lectured at universities in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. In 2023 she was shortlisted for the Postgraduate Research Supervisor of the year award.

    • Stevie Martin , University of Cambridge

      Stevie Martin is a College Assistant Professor at Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge though aspects of the book were written while she was a Senior Lecturer at the T.C Beirne School of Law (University of Queensland). Stevie is also joint General Editor of the European Human Rights Law Review. Her research into human rights and medical law has been relied upon in courts nationally and internationally and she has given evidence to Parliament, including the Joint Human Rights Committee. Stevie's research has been awarded the Yorke Prize and has been referred to in media reports on end-of-life issues.

    • Stephanie Palmer , University of Cambridge

      Stephanie Palmer has taught for many years at the University of Cambridge Faculty of Law and also at Harvard Law School. She is a barrister at Blackstone Chambers, a joint General Editor of the European Human Rights Law Review, a Fellow of Girton College and the Lauterpacht Centre, Cambridge. She is a member of the Alliance for Lawyers at Risk and on the Advisory Board of the Pro Bono organisation, the Law Corner. Her published work on official secrecy and freedom of information has been translated into French, Spanish, Ukrainian and Russian. She has given advice to the Parliament of Ukraine on constitutional issues and given evidence before a UK Parliamentary Select Committee on behalf of Liberty.