Chapter 5 · The UK government, the law and your role
Fundamental principles: Life in the UK test study notes
The European Convention on Human Rights was drafted with help from British lawyers and diplomats, and in 1950 the UK was among its earliest signatories. The Human Rights Act 1998 made the Convention's rights part of UK law, so public authorities such as the government, the police and the courts must respect them. Protected rights include the right to life, liberty and security, and a fair trial. They also include freedom of expression, and freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as well as bans on torture, slavery and forced labour. Equality law means people must not be treated unfairly at work or elsewhere because of characteristics such as age, disability, sex, race, religion or sexual orientation. In England, Scotland and Wales the main law is the Equality Act 2010, and Northern Ireland has similar laws of its own. The law also protects people in their homes and families. Domestic violence is a serious crime, female genital mutilation is illegal, and courts can make orders to protect people from forced marriage.
Key facts to remember
- Roots of individual rights in Britain – Magna Carta, the 1689 Bill of Rights and the Habeas Corpus Act.
- 1950 – the UK is among the earliest signatories of the European Convention on Human Rights.
- British lawyers and diplomats helped to draft the Convention.
- The Human Rights Act 1998 brought the Convention's rights into UK law.
- Public authorities, including government departments, the police and the courts, must respect these rights.
- Protected rights include the right to life, liberty and security, a fair trial, and freedom of expression, thought, conscience and religion.
- The Convention bans torture, slavery and forced labour.
- The Equality Act 2010 (England, Scotland and Wales) protects people from unfair treatment in all areas of life, not just at work.
- Protected characteristics include age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, and marital status.
- Northern Ireland has its own, similar equality laws.
- In England and Wales, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Citizens Advice can give you information if you face discrimination.
- Violence towards a partner is a crime, whether the couple are married or living together.
- A man who forces his wife to have sex can be charged with rape.
- Refuges, or shelters, give people escaping domestic violence a safe place to live; in an emergency, always ring the police.
- Female genital mutilation (FGM) is illegal; it is also an offence to take a woman or girl overseas to have it done.
- A marriage needs the free and full consent of both people; arranged marriages, where both agree, are lawful.
- In a forced marriage, one or both people do not or cannot consent; forcing someone to marry is a crime. Since 2023 in England and Wales, no one under 18 can marry, and doing anything to bring about the marriage of an under-18 is the crime of forced marriage, even if they agree.
- Forced Marriage Protection Orders protect people at risk of being forced into marriage.
- 2008 – Forced Marriage Protection Orders are introduced in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland follows in November 2011.
- The handbook says breaching a Forced Marriage Protection Order is contempt of court, with up to two years in prison; since 2014 in England and Wales it has also been a crime, with up to five years.
Test yourself on chapter 5
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These notes summarise the official handbook, Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents (3rd edition), which all the test questions come from. Try the free chapter 5 questions.