Yesterday, a British court ruled that the European Convention on Human Rights, which was written into British law by the Blair government’s 1998 Human Rights Act, applies to the British armed forces, no matter whether they are in Britain, on a British base overseas, or in combat. The Human Rights Act contains, among other provisions, the “right to life.” Therefore, the court found, the Ministry of Defence has a legal obligation to avoid or minimize risks to the forces, even if they are on patrol or actively engaged in combat.
It’s almost tempting to pity the world leaders who will arrive in London in a week for the G-20 summit. First, they have agreed to face questions from bloggers selected by G20 Voice, a creation of a relentlessly left-wing collection of NGOs, including Oxfam, Save the Children, and Blue State Digital. Predictably, both the UK’s Foreign Office and its Department for International Development are also sponsoring this assembly of anti-sovereignty activists and free enterprise-haters. Also predictable is the fact that the summit will face no questions from bloggers who believe …
