Human Rights

Human Rights Act 2001

The Human Rights Act incorporates the fundamental rights and freedoms in the European Convention on Human Rights into Manx domestic law.

The Act makes it unlawful for a public authority to behave in a way which contravenes those rights. This means that all public authorities must ensure that everything they do is compatible with Convention rights unless an Act of Tynwald makes that impossible.  People are entitled to expect that public authorities respect their Convention rights.

The Human Rights Act means that:

• Convention rights and responsibilities form a common set of binding values for public authorities
• Public authorities must have human rights principles in mind when they make decisions about people's rights
• Human rights must be part of all policy making
• All legislation must be interpreted and given effect as far as possible, compatibly with the Convention rights.
• It is unlawful for a public authority to act incompatibly with the Convention rights and allows for a case to be brought in the Isle of Man Courts against the authority if it does so