Rishi Sunak has lashed out at the ‘complete overreach’ by the European Court of Human Rights after it ruled that governments have an obligation to take action on climate change.
No10 lashed out at the Strasbourg court after it last week sided with Swiss women -supported by Greta Thunberg – who brought a case saying their government wasn’t doing enough to protect them from climate shocks.
It found in favour of the group who said their country’s inaction in the face of rising temperatures puts them at risk of dying during heatwaves.
But UK ministers have questioned the validity of the ruling, saying it is over-reach into national politics.
After it was criticised by energy minister Claire Coutinho last week, yesterday a No10 source told the Telegraph: ‘The PM’s view was that this judgment is a complete overreach and an illegitimate interpretation of the ECHR text. No doubt about that.’
No10 lashed out at the Strasbourg court after it last week sided with Swiss women -supported by Greta Thunberg – who brought a case saying their government wasn’t doing enough to protect them from climate shocks.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judged that Switzerland’s weak climate policies violate fundamental human rights – its first such verdict against a state on the issue.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg, who was in court for the ruling, said it was a ‘call to action’ and underscores ‘the importance of taking our national governments to court’.
The case was brought by around 2,500 Swiss women with an average age of 74, who argued they were at greater risk of death from heatwaves. The ruling opens the door to further legal challenges in countries that are members of the Council of Europe, which includes the 27 EU nations as well as Britain and Turkey.
The attack on the ECHR comes amid an ongoing Tory row over the UK’s membership of the transnational court.
Right-wingers have advocated leaving its jurisdiction if it tries to block flights taking asylum seekers to Rwanda if, as expected, a new law is passed this week.
But at least 12 Cabinet ministers would oppose leaving the treaty and the Strasbourg court, according to a new analysis.
The dozen sceptics include Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Home Secretary James Cleverly, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, the Times reported.
It could set the Conservative party on a self-destructive course if Mr Sunak decides to promise changes to Britain’s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
The PM last week appeared to shift his position when he said ‘border security and making sure that we can control illegal migration is more important than membership of a foreign court’.