On 7 September 2022, in her first week as prime minister, it was reported (and subsequently confirmed) that Liz Truss had pulled the second reading of former justice secretary Dominic Raab’s Bill of Rights Bill. The bill, which, according to its explanatory notes, aimed to ‘replace the Human Rights Act 1998 (“HRA”) and restore a common-sense approach to human rights’, was mired in controversy from its introduction to parliament on 22 June, not least because it largely ignored the proposals of The Independent Human Rights Act Review (CP 586, Ministry of Justice (MoJ), December 2021) and the results of the MoJ’s Human Rights Act reform: a modern Bill of Rights consultation, in which respondents overwhelmingly rejected most of the government’s plans. At the time, LAG CEO Sue James described the bill as an ‘ideological attack on human rights that takes away more than it delivers’, while The Law Society stated: ‘We do not believe there is a case for the sweeping reforms proposed.’

There was much relief at the bill’s demise, although Liberty director Martha Spurrier was among many expressing concern that the government remained wedded to its aims if not its form: ‘It is vital now that the new government takes this opportunity to strengthen our rights, not weaken them further by bringing these dangerous plans back in another guise.’

Similarly, the British Institute of Human Rights warned: 'The Rights Removal Bill is a dangerous piece of legislation that puts all our rights at risk. The decision to shelve it will either slow down or halt its progress, which is positive. However, it is not yet clear what the government's plans are for the future - which means our Human Rights Act is still at risk.'