Cameron: We need a UK Bill of Rights

DAVID CAMERON demanded a "British Bill of Rights" today after the Government admitted the Human Rights Act was preventing terror suspects from being deported.

The Tory leader stepped up his attack on the Labour legislation in the wake of remarks by Justice Secretary Jack Straw that "nervous judges" were reluctant to breach the rights of
Islamic extremists.

In a speech to mark the 60th anniversary of the UN's Declaration of Human Rights, Mr Cameron said that Labour had overseen legislation which lacked "proportion and common sense".

The Human Rights Act, introduced by Mr Straw in 1998, had led to police being unable to "name and shame" even the most wanted criminals on posters.

Mr Cameron said that the Act had also failed to protect fundamental civil liberties such as trial by jury and detention without charge.

"I believe that we now need a home-grown British Bill of Rights," he said. "A country that has, as we do, a proud tradition of providing a safe haven for those fleeing persecution also has every justification in distinguishing between granting permission for someone wholly innocent to remain on the grounds of the right to family life, and granting such permission to someone who has engaged in violent crime," he said.

Mr Cameron said that he wanted to restore the supremacy of Westminster over laws that are seen as being imposed from Europe.

His speech came after Mr Straw today blamed "nervous" judges for refusing to deport suspected terrorists as he signalled moves to overhaul the Human Rights Act.

Mr Straw plans to bring forward next month a Green Paper to overhaul the Act, which he admitted was being used by Islamic extremists to avoid being kicked out of Britain.

He told the Daily Mail: "There is a sense it's a villain's charter or that it stops terrorists being deported or criminals being properly given publicity.

"I am greatly frustrated by some very few judgments that have thrown up these problems."