The Human Rights Act was a clear statement of rights that need to be taken into account in the delivery of public services. The vision behind the Act was that it would bring about cultural change where service decisions would be made with reference to basic rights, such as the right to privacy and family life, the right to a fair hearing and the right not to suffer degrading treatment. The Government expected that public service decision-makers would work within a human rights framework. Managers would have a clear understanding of their obligations under the Act and carefully balance an individual's rights against those of the wider community when making their decisions.
The Act can help to improve public services, as it seeks to ensure the delivery of quality services that meet the needs of individual service users. Not only has the Act increased public service providers' awareness of the rights of the individual, but it has also meant an increased risk of legal challenge by service users.
We hope that this publication, which follows our previous work outlined in The Human Rights Act: A Bulletin for Public Bodies will prompt all public bodies to examine how they have responded to the Act and how that response could be improved with a view to enhancing service delivery. It includes:
- the latest analysis of progress made across 175 public bodies
- good practice examples drawn from the local government, health and criminal justice services
- an update on the law relating to public bodies
- practical examples of how the Act can be used as a framework to improve service delivery