Discuss how effectively rights are protected in the UK.

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Discuss how effectively rights are protected in the UK

In Britain, we have a negative approach to rights which means people can do what they like as long as there is no law in place that is able to stop them. Unlike in the USA and many other states, however the rights and liberties of British citizens are not set out in a single constitutional document with the USA being able to appeal to the Supreme Court if they feel rights are being infringed.

In the UK civil rights have come under threat due to what many commentators have accused Labour of introducing creeping authoritarianism into British society, for example Labour introduced Detention without trial, (habeas corpus) which included the indefinite detention without trial of foreign national suspects for example the Belmarsh case where foreign terrorist suspects where held in Belmarsh prison without trial. Labour also introduced control orders (curfews, tagging, bans on telephone and internet use and ultimately house arrest) on suspects without trial which stops civil liberties with people being stuck in on place unable to live their life. Therefore due to detention without trial civil liberties are under threat as they stop people living their life without them ever coming under trial.

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Also due to Labour introducing ID cards civil liberties are not well protected, ID cards are viewed as an invasion of privacy and a denial of the presumption of innocence further adding to the Big Brother society under the pretence that it would help stop terrorist attacks as they helped stop illegal immigration with people being easily identified while also for the same reason stopping benefit fraud. However ID cards seriously endangered civil liberties because they didn’t allow people much freedom with the police and the government knowing everyone’s. Also due to the increase in the ‘surveillance society’ with ...

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3 Stars - This essay demonstrates an understanding of a number of ways in which rights are undermined in the UK - a conclusion is reached (though not properly supported) and several effective examples are deployed. Where the essay could be improved is with more effective proof reading - watch out for sentences that are too long as they often don't completely make sense. There is also a lack of balance - the argument is one sided and does not consider a different perspective.