The UK Prime Minister, the Home Secretary and, in general, the British Government is up against it with regard to asylum seekers. In brief, they intend to act potentially contrary to a convention (to which the UK is a party) known as the European Convention on Human Rights.
Not only that, the UK, 25 years ago, enacted the Human Rights Act 1998 – a law enshrining that Human Rights Convention into the UK’s domestic legislation.
And not only that, but the UK has agreed to be subject to the jurisdiction and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in matters relating to Human Rights.
What on earth does the British Government intend to do? Its intended deeds are plain. But, legally, they're things so finely nuanced that ordinary human beings may be forgiven for giving up on trying to understand the legal issues.
Incidentally, Jersey has its own, similar, Human Rights (Jersey) Law 2000. But Jersey’s Government is able to keep its head down at present.
An Act of Parliament or a Jersey Law is similar to a Biblical commandment. In fact the Bible’s Ten Commandments – as well as many other principles in the law given by the LORD to Moses as recorded there – form the basis of the legislation of the Western world's nations.
But there is a vast difference between the commandment of the LORD Jesus Christ and Human Rights legislation. In the incident recorded in bold above, Jesus set out the two greatest commandments of all – applicable to every human being. Jesus did not legislate to give inalienable rights to human beings. Instead, he legislated to set clearly before all human beings their responsibilities. Those responsibilities are, first, vertical, and then, second, horizontal. He joins them together and said, “There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Responsibilities. Not rights. Responsibilities to love – vertically and horizontally.
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