About the project
Human rights are frequently in the news, but the public debate usually suggests that they are in opposition to the things that people care about, like security, democracy and national sovereignty.
The project ‘Human Rights: Informing the UK Debate’ aims to improve the quality of public discourse on human rights by providing expert content grounded in robust evidence and rigorous analysis. It seeks to identify and respond to inaccurate or misleading reporting or commentary about human rights.
It also explores what human rights mean for ordinary people in their everyday lives, and for the values they care about such as security, dignity, accountability, democracy and national sovereignty.
The project is a collaboration between the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (University of Oxford), the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights (University of Oxford), and Middlesex University. The project is funded by a gift from the Sigrid Rausing Trust.
Media Enquiries
For media enquiries relating to the 'Human Rights: Informing the UK Debate' project, including interview requests, expert insights, or further information about our research, please contact:
Project Communications Manager Sophie Morris.
Email: sophie.morris@law.ox.ac.uk
Know the Facts: The UK and the ECHR
This series is a clear starting point for anyone who wants to understand the UK’s relationship with the European Convention on Human Rights. These explainers show how the system works, what the evidence shows about the UK’s record, and what would be involved if the UK chose to leave. They offer an accessible introduction to the key legal and policy questions at the heart of the debate.
Human Rights and the Hillsborough Law
Human Rights and the “Hillsborough Law” tells the story of how the right to life, protected under the ECHR and the Human Rights Act, transformed the law and practice of effective public investigations in the UK. It was published to inform the Second Reading debate on the Public Office (Accountability) Bill in the House of Lords on Tuesday 1st September 2026.
The blog "The Hillsborough Law is a chance to show imaginative political leadership on human rights" by PEC Director Murray Hunt argues that the Hillsborough Law is a chance for the UK government to turn the tide of hostile criticism of human rights laws.
Know the Facts: Do human rights laws stop the UK deporting foreign offenders?
Do human rights laws prevent the UK from deporting foreign offenders?
This video looks at what the law actually says, explaining when the government is required or able to deport a foreign national who has committed a crime, and the circumstances in which human rights protections can affect that decision. It explores the narrow exceptions that may be used to challenge deportation based on the prohibition of torture and in human or degrading treatment and the right to private and family life, and explains how courts balance those protections against the public interest in deportation. It explains how few human rights appeals against deportation succeed.
Behind the headlines: The persistent myth of the chicken nuggets – and why it’s time for an informed debate about the ECHR
Did an Albanian man really avoid deportation because his son did not like foreign chicken nuggets?
The “chicken nuggets” case illustrates how misleading reporting can distort public understanding of human rights law and immigration appeals. A well-informed debate needs to be grounded in accurate evidence, the law and a proper understanding of how the appeals system works.
We set out the current UK law on the deportation of foreign national offenders applicable to this case and analyse the three legal decisions at the heart of it. We also consider media reporting and political commentary about the case and a more widespread pattern of misleading and/or inaccurate reporting about immigration tribunal cases, the UK’s system of immigration appeals, and the role played by the ECHR, referring to research based on monitoring of UK media from January to June 2025 and to the latest available Home Office statistics.
Read or watch our explanation of the case below.
"What Have Human Rights Ever Done for Us?” Lecture by Professor Alice Donald
In her lecture “What Have Human Rights Ever Done for Us? - Quite a lot, actually!”, Professor Donald explored the practical impact of human rights on everyday life, their influence on UK law, and their role in safeguarding democracy. Drawing on contemporary examples, she considered how human rights protections affect individuals and communities, and why they remain central to some of today’s most pressing social and political debates.
This lecture was delivered on 8 July 2026 at the Centre for European law and Internationalisation (CELI). Watch the full lecture below.
Earlier project outputs
The project is a continuation of an earlier collaboration which produced two Bonavero Reports, one reviewing the media coverage on the European Convention on Human Rights and immigration control in the UK, and one examining 10 reasons to stay in the European Convention on Human Rights.
Lead image: AI generated for illustration purposes
