Professor Bill Bowring speaks at event to mark 'Fifty years of our right to apply to Strasbourg'
Professor Bill Bowring speaks at event to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK's 14th January 1966 recognition of the right of individuals to apply to the European Court of Human Rights.
On Thursday, Professor Bill Bowring participated in a conference organised by the Centre of European Law and the Dickson Poon School of Law at Kings College London to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK's 14th January 1966 recognition of the right of individuals to apply to the European Court of Human Rights.
A focal point of the conference was the Conservative proposals to introduce a British Bill of Rights and Responsibilities which could ultimately see the UK withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, when the Bill comes into effect.
Bill Bowring gave a presentation entitled “What would Russia lose if it were to follow the UK out of the Strasbourg system?”, emphasising that both Britain and Russia suffer from a crisis of identity affecting relations with the rest of Europe, as countries which have not only recently lost great empires, but also won World War II.
This is also the 20th anniversary of Russia’s accession to the Council of Europe, and Bill gave details of Russia’s rich and complex engagement with the ECtHR. He concluded that if Britain leaves the ECHR, that will be a great victory for reactionaries in Russia who want Russia to leave.
The well-attended conference, organised by Professor Robert Wintemute of Kings College, also heard presentations by Sir Nicolas Bratza (former UK judge and President of the ECtHR), Lord Anthony Lester QC, Sir Keir Starmer QC MP, and Professors Elspeth Guild, Philip Leach and Conor Gearty.
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