I am honoured and delighted to be introducing this collection of contributions celebrating the HRLA’s 20th anniversary. 2023 also brings significant anniversaries for the UK’s Human Rights Act 1998, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This publication presents commemorative insights from distinguished lawyers and human rights advocates. Our contributors come from diverse backgrounds but share a commitment to the rule of law and promoting respect for fundamental rights. As their commentaries make clear, there is much to celebrate in the work that has been done in the application of these great human rights instruments. But there have also been bitter disappointments, and the need to protect these instruments from cynicism and neglect has never been greater. With the help of our members and supporters, past, present, and future, the HRLA will continue to play its part in those endeavours. I am very grateful to each of our contributors for sharing their personal observations, and I am confident that you will enjoy reading them as much as I did.
Joe Middleton KC Chair of the Human Rights Lawyers Association
23 November 2023
