Human Rights act aid police officers at work

New Research at the University of Surrey indicates that, as opposed to popular belief, the Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998 may be aiding the police in their work.

The unpopularity of this Act, originating within Europe, has been furthered by repeated debate regarding its effectiveness in Parliament, as well as in the press.

One aspect that politicians point out in terms of frustrating criminal justice, is the process in diverse areas and includes voting rights of prisoners, the police uses of samples and prints, and the deportation of illegal immigrants.

Much of the debate has been around police officers’ ability to apprehend criminals, and doing so without acting in contradiction to the HRA.  The research, carried out by sociologists at the University, indicates that this is not true, and to the contrary police are increasingly employing the Act in order to help them enforce the law.

Authors of the research, Dr Karen Bullock and Dr Paul Johnson found no evidence to suggest that operational police work has fundamentally changed or become compromised by the HRA.  And the officers they interviewed could not think of any ways that their work has changed as a result of the HRA.

Dr Paul Johnson said: “The HRA has frequently been derided in the popular press as a mechanism that affords the guilty too much protection by inhibiting the activities of criminal justice agencies.  Unsurprisingly, policing has often been at the centre of claims that the HRA hinders or prevents apprehension and control of criminals.

“We found that officers believe that these bureaucratic procedures provide some positive benefits for policing, because they can help clarify and mandate police decision-making and ultimately protect officers from potential criticism and blame.  In this sense, the HRA has acted to enhance police powers and legitimate officers’ work on the ground”.

The research is far from a complete and glowing endorsement of the Human Rights Act, however it has shown that it is becoming increasingly useful, and that the widespread contempt for the Act may be misplaced.