Your human rights are protected by law in the UK, mainly through the Human Rights Act 1998, which brings the European Convention on Human Rights into domestic law. Public bodies, including councils, the NHS, the police and prisons, are expected to act in line with those rights. That doesn't mean things always go to plan. If you think you've been treated unfairly by a public body, whether you're a disabled person struggling to get proper care or someone being mistreated in detention, you can do something about it.
If you're not sure whether your human rights have actually been breached, try our free Rights Situation Checker.
Where to start
A common first step is a free initial conversation with Citizens Advice or a solicitor who handles public law or human rights work. Citizens Advice can help you work out whether you have a case at all, and point you towards the right kind of specialist. The Law Society has a "Find a Solicitor" tool on its website where you can search by area of law, including human rights and civil liberties.
You don't always need to jump straight to a solicitor. Advocacy services, patient liaison teams in the NHS, tenants' unions, disability rights groups and local councillors can all be useful depending on the situation, and some issues get resolved well before any lawyer gets involved.
When you do get an appointment, bring everything relevant with you: letters, emails, dates, notes of phone calls, medical records, decisions in writing, and the names of anyone involved. Legal advisers can only work with what you give them, and being organised saves time and money.
Listen carefully to what they say, and if they put their view in writing, read it properly. A solicitor will usually give you an honest assessment of whether the case is worth pursuing. Many won't take on a case they don't think they can win, so ask directly about your chances. If they can't help, they can often refer you to someone who can.
What it might cost
Legal action is rarely cheap. Legal aid for civil cases has been cut back significantly since the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, but it is still available for some human rights matters, particularly where there's a serious risk to life, liberty or family life, or for judicial review. In practice, "serious risk" tends to cover situations such as threats of removal from the country, loss of accommodation leading to homelessness, children being taken into care, or detention and deprivation of liberty. Whether you qualify depends on three things: your income and capital (the means test), the type of case, and whether your case has a reasonable prospect of success (the merits test). You can check the current rules on GOV.UK or ask a solicitor to run a legal aid assessment for you.
Some solicitors offer conditional fee arrangements (often called "no win, no fee") for certain claims, and some cases are taken on pro bono by charities or law clinics. Be prepared for the process to take time. Civil claims, judicial reviews and complaints to ombudsman services can all run on for months, sometimes longer.
Describe what has happened and find out which UK human rights protections apply and what you can do.
Try our Rights Situation Checker free, here on this site →If you're not ready for a solicitor
You don't have to go straight to legal action. If you're unsure whether anything has really gone wrong, you can go back to the body involved and ask them to explain. Every public authority should have a complaints procedure, and you're entitled to a copy of the policy they followed when they made the decision you're unhappy with. You can also make a subject access request under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 to see the information they hold about you.
If their response is slow, evasive or unhelpful, escalate through their formal complaints process. After that, depending on the body involved, you can usually take the complaint to an ombudsman. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman covers the NHS in England and UK government departments. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman covers councils in England only. The Independent Office for Police Conduct handles complaints about the police in England and Wales, and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman covers prisons. Scotland has the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner. Wales has the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. Northern Ireland has the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman and the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
Organisations that can help
A number of bodies exist specifically to advise people on human rights and equality issues. They won't always take on individual cases, but they can point you in the right direction and, in some cases, provide detailed guidance or support.
- Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC): the statutory body for equality and human rights in Britain. Useful if your complaint also involves discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.
- Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS): a helpline that advises individuals on equality and human rights issues, replacing the old EHRC helpline. You can call them or use the online contact form.
- Liberty: a civil liberties campaigning organisation that runs an advice service and sometimes takes on strategic cases.
- British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR): focuses on practical human rights in everyday settings, particularly health and social care. Their website has free downloadable guides that are worth reading before any meeting with an adviser.
- JUSTICE and Public Law Project: legal charities that work on access to justice and occasionally support individual cases.
- Law Centres: not-for-profit legal practices that offer free advice in some areas of law, including human rights. The Law Centres Network website lets you search for your nearest one.
- Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and Scottish Human Rights Commission: the equivalent statutory bodies for those nations.
Several of these organisations publish plain-English guides on specific rights, such as the right to respect for private and family life, the right to liberty, and protection from inhuman or degrading treatment. Reading one or two of those before you see a solicitor can save you a lot of confusion. Where a helpline is available, booking a call or requesting a written response can be a quicker way in than trying to arrange a face-to-face meeting.
If you can't find anyone local
Outside London and the larger cities, specialist human rights solicitors can be harder to find. The good news is that most of the organisations above operate nationally, and a lot of the initial advice work can be done by phone, email or video call. The EASS helpline, Citizens Advice and your nearest Law Centre are all reachable remotely.
Legal frameworks exist to protect your rights, and they apply to public authorities whether they like it or not, but navigating them can be slow and complex, and outcomes are never guaranteed. If something has gone wrong, raising it may stop the same thing happening to someone else.
As a full member and paying some £2000 per year subscription, can they enforce this or does it breach my human rights in anyway.
Your situation involves several potential human rights considerations, including the right to peaceful enjoyment of your property and family life. You may have stronger grounds than just market value compensation, especially given your caring responsibilities.
I'd strongly recommend contacting a housing solicitor who specialises in compulsory purchase orders. Many offer free initial consultations. Also reach out to your local Citizens Advice Bureau who can guide you through your rights and possibly connect you with advocacy services. The Equality and Human Rights Commission helpline (0808 800 0082) can also provide specific guidance about the human rights aspects of your case.
Please don't face this alone - there is support available.
Hope you can advise
A renewal of my shotgun license which expires in two weeks time. I was persuaded to sign a form I believe may allow the police access to my medical records. I have now sold the shotgun and want the form back. I asked the police to return it but they are prevaricating. In the first place I believe that the form violates my human rights and second what are my options please?
I have been thrown off AOL many times for speaking my mind about the influx of Immigrants, Islam and the EU. I have never sworn or used racist language on the news boards. I have had to change my screen names and email addresses as they have been blocked by AOL. White British people seem to have no rights in making comments and their feelings known these days. Some News Items on AOL have had the comments sections blocked, why put News on if they are going to block comments from readers??? Please let me know what rights bloggers have. Best regards Jonathan
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