Overview
- In testimony to the Lords Constitution Committee, Lord Richard Hermer said the UK will not quit the ECHR and warned departure would leave Britain alongside Russia and Belarus.
- He said leaving would likely breach the Good Friday Agreement and jeopardise cooperation on returns, arguing partners would not strike migration deals with a non‑ECHR member.
- The government is reviewing how Article 8 is applied in UK courts, with potential changes to caseworker guidance, immigration rules and primary legislation plus a proactive litigation strategy.
- Hermer called near‑term treaty reform unrealistic and described promises of quick ECHR changes as a “political trick,” even as officials keep up European contacts.
- Suella Braverman, joined by Reform UK’s Richard Tice and Lord David Frost, launched a blueprint to leave the ECHR urging use of Article 58 and repeal of the Human Rights Act, intensifying pressure on ministers.