Catherine Dupré reflects on the loss of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights as a result of Brexit and its consequences for human rights protection in the UK.

Catherine Dupré publishes opinion paper on Brexit and human dignity

A world without dignity?

In an opinion paper just published in the European Human Rights Law Review ('“Human Dignity is Inviolable: It Must be Respected and Protected”: Retaining the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights after Brexit’, 2 (2018) European Human Rights Law Review 101) Catherine Dupré reflects on the loss of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights as a result of Brexit and its consequences for human rights protection in the UK. As the abstract notes:

As Parliament continues its discussion of the EU Withdrawal Bill, this paper reflects on the significance of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights for the UK in the post-Brexit context. Emphasising the importance of the Charter due to the unique range of rights that it protects, and focussing on its most emblematic provision, namely the commitment to protect and respect inviolable human dignity under Article 1, the article explores the Charter’s contribution to rights protection and the possible implications of its loss post-Brexit. The paper outlines three principal arguments: the importance of codification in the field of human rights law, the need to retain clear awareness of the Charter’s politico-legal foundations and objectives, and the need for special legislation to guarantee Charter rights in the UK for the future.

Date: 30 April 2018