Children's Rights Alliance for England: Our Human Rights Story

The Human Rights Act, passed in 1998, gives those living in the UK powerful protection for their human rights. It means that children and young people, some of the most vulnerable members of our society, can expect a minimum level of protection for their rights, giving them better access to services, respectful and dignified treatment, equal consideration, and the right to be involved in decisions that affect them. And when those rights – to be free from torture or degrading treatment, to a fair trial, to a private and family life, to freedom of thought, to freedom of expression and association – are not respected, it gives children and young people a way to challenge it. Preserving and strengthening the Human Rights Act is fundamental to building the kind of society that we want for our children, a society that supports children and young people to grow and develop to their full potential.