‘[I]n this country we are proud to stand up for human rights, at home and abroad. It is part of the British tradition. But what is alien to our tradition – and now exerting such a corrosive influence...

‘[I]n this country we are proud to stand up for human rights, at home and abroad. It is part of the British tradition. But what is alien to our tradition – and now exerting such a corrosive influence on behaviour and morality is the twisting and misrepresenting of human rights in a way that has undermined personal responsibility . . . The truth is, the interpretation of human rights legislation has exerted a chilling effect on public sector organisations, leading them to act in ways that fly in the face of common sense, offend our sense of right and wrong, and undermine responsibility.’ (David Cameron, MP, ‘PM’s speech on the fightback after the riots’ (15 August 2011) (www.number10.gov. uk/news/pms-speech-on-the-fightback-after-the-riots/ ))

E valuate whether the operation of human rights under the ECHR really does force public authorities to ‘act in ways that fly in the face of common sense’?