Government must be firm on human rights, says Attorney General

However, Lord Hermer, who headed Matrix Chambers and was appointed a deputy judge of the Supreme Court in 2019, said ministers clearly saw the importance of the rule of law in Labour’s reform process.

“We shouldn’t apologize”

“We do not want a society where only laws rule. We want a society where respect for human dignity is a guiding principle and the human rights framework that the last Labour government put in place is one for which we should not apologise or make excuses. It is one that we must recognise,” he said.

Lord Hermer warned that the rise of populist politics could sweep away human rights. “We need to effectively popularise the rule of law and human rights, and that is an absolutely key defence (against) populism,” he said.

“I think we need to be militant about our belief in the rule of law and human rights. We need to shout it from the rooftops. We need to explain it in language that everyone understands. And I think we have a fantastic story to tell.”