What is the Human Rights Act 1998 and what has Theresa May said about the European Convention on Human Rights?
PM Theresa May has vowed to rip up some human rights laws if they prevent her from tackling terrorism.
She has promised she would change the laws in order to try and stop attacks such as those at London Bridge and Manchester Arena, but what would that mean?
What is the Human Rights Act 1998?
According to the , the Human Rights Act 1998, who come into force in October 2000, lists the rights and freedoms everyone in the UK is entitled to.
This means all public bodies - including police and courts - are required to respect and protect people's human rights.
Furthermore it means Parliament will nearly always seek the ensure new laws are compatible with the rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Right to life, freedom from torture and freedom from slavery are all rights which are covered by the act.
Others include freedom of thought, belief, and religion and the right to a fair trial.
The Act also incorporates the rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights into domestic British law.
This means that if your human rights have been breached, you can take your case to a British court rather than having to seek justice from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in France.
What has Theresa May said about the Act and the European Convention on Human Rights?
Mrs May said she hopes to change human rights laws in order to make it easier to deport or curb the movements of terror suspects in instances where there is not enough evidence to prosecute, but sufficient evidence to suspect a national security threat.
She said: “As we see the threat changing, evolving becoming a more complex threat, we need to make sure that our police and security and intelligence agencies have the powers they need.
"I mean longer prison sentences for people convicted of terrorist offences. I mean making it easier for the authorities to deport foreign terrorist suspects back to their own countries.
"And I mean doing more to restrict the freedom and the movements of terrorist suspects when we have enough evidence to know they are a threat, but not enough evidence to prosecute them in full in court.
"And if our human rights laws stop us from doing it, we will change the laws so we can do it.
"If I am elected as Prime Minister on Thursday, that work begins on Friday."
What is the European Convention on Human Rights?
The ECHR protects the human rights of people in countries which are part of the Council of Europe.
All 47 members of the council have signed the convention which guarantees specific rights and freedoms and prohibits unfair and harmful practices.
Formed in 1949, the Council of Europe is completely separate from the European Union and much larger.
Following the Brexit vote - the UK’s membership of the Council would be unaffected if it left the EU.
What are the latest polls saying?
Following the June 3 London Bridge attacks and two days before the General Election, the Conservative lead over Labour had plummeted to just one point.
A new Survation poll suggested the election race was neck and neck.
The voters’ survey for Good Morning Britain put Labour on 40.4 per cent and the Tories on 41.5 per cent with polling day now just hours away.
A You Gov poll published on May 31 predicted the Tories were on course to lose their majority on June 8 – although it has been branded “utter tripe” by experts.
The poll suggested that Theresa May was likely to lose seats, resulting in a hung parliament.
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