David Davis DUMPS hated EU charter of ‘fundamental’ human rights and puts UK back in control
Brexit Secretary said Parliament and Supreme Court judges would now overhaul Luxembourg judges
BRITAIN took back control yesterday as Brexit Secretary David Davis dumped a hated European Union human rights charter.
The Cabinet Minister unveiled plans to transpose every single piece of EU law into UK legislation before we leave the bloc in early 2019.
But he said the UK would not be bringing over the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights – overseen by judges in Luxembourg.
And he said it would be lawmakers in Parliament and Supreme Court judges who would reign supreme once we cut our ties with the EU in two years’ time.
The Charter was blamed just three years ago for forcing the Government to allow entry to a known terrorist with a French passport.
Speaking in the Commons David Davis said the Government was delivering “on our promise to end the supremacy of EU law in the UK as we exit”.
“Our laws will then be made in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast and interpreted not by judges in Luxembourg but by judges across the United Kingdom,” he said.
The EU Charter brought together the fundamental rights protected in the EU – ranging from dignity and freedoms to citizens’ rights and justice.
It was blamed after the Lisbon Treaty in 2007 for giving the European Court of Justice the means to grab control over defence matters, immigration and home affairs in member states.
The ECJ ruled in 2013 that under the charter a known terrorist was entitled to know why he was barred from Britain – potentially compromising sensitive intelligence.
Jubilant Brexit-backing Tories welcomed the move which came just 24 hours after Theresa May formally launched divorce talks by triggering ‘Article 50’.
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Former Justice Minister Dominic Raab told the Sun: “Removing the charter stops yet more skewed human rights obligations from being imposed on the UK via the European Court in Luxembourg.
“This has weakened our ability to stop both dangerous criminals entering the UK and remove them once they offend here.”
Mr Davis insisted Britain had no plans to pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights.
And laying out the plans to bring over EU law under the ‘Great Repeal Bill’ yesterday Mr Davis said it should be called the “Continuity Bill” given how many rules would remain the same.
He insisted that huge swathes of European legislation – from workers’ rights and environmental regulation – would be cut and paste into UK law lock, stock and barrel onto the statute book.
A policy paper lay bare that 43 years of European case law would have the same precedent in British courts as we leave as the decisions of our own Supreme Court.
One Brexit backing Tory warned the move gave him “collywobbles”.
Yesterday’s move by the Government came as;
• French President Francois Hollande told Theresa May Britain would have to settle Brexit terms before the EU can discuss a new trade deal.
• Theresa May sought to love-bomb the EU by writing about Britain’s wish to remain a strong partner and ally in newspaper columns in EU countries.
• Ex-PM David Cameron was accused of trying to rebrand himself a ‘Brexiteer’ by saying he never “liked” the European Parliament.
• Millionaire Gina Miller said she was considering legal action to challenge the Government’s Great Repeal Bill.
• Furious Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon accused Theresa May of using the Repeal Bill to grab a stranglehold over Scotland.
• Labour grandee and former EU Trade Commissioner Lord Mandelson called for a nationwide Brexit ‘resistance’.
Under the Repeal Bill more than 12,000 EU regulations will be transferred into UK law to help pave the way for a “smooth” Brexit for business.
Some 1,000 existing measures may need to be changed or altered using so-called Statutory Instruments – laws which are typically passed without a Parliamentary debate.
David Davis said such an approach was required so the Government could achieve the mammoth task by the end of March 2019.
But Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer warned the approach gave the Government a “new sweeping power” to make ill thought-out legislation.
Other opposition MPs warned the Government would be able reshape EU laws without proper parliamentary scrutiny in a manner not seen since Henry VIII – who ruled by proclamation.
Lib Dem chief whip Tom Brake said: “Theresa May and her ministers are resembling a medieval court more and more every single day.
“This shameless power grab under the cloak of secondary legislation would have made Henry VIII blush.”