THE Westminster government has adopted an “increasingly antagonistic” approach towards human rights, a European inquiry has found. 

Moves by ministers to replace the Human Rights Act with a new Bill of Rights was singled out as a particular cause for alarm by the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, Dunja Mijatovic, who warned such a move would weaken human rights in Britain. 

Ms Mijatovic also raised concerns about the government’s series of anti-protest Bills, treatment of asylum-seekers, police strip-searching of children and the emergence of a “harsh political and public discourse” against trans people. 

The 47-page report follows a four-day visit to Britain by Ms Mijatovic and her team, and comes ahead of international human rights day on Saturday. 

Releasing the report yesterday, the commissioner said: “Both the overall system for protecting human rights, and the rights of specific groups, are currently under pressure in the United Kingdom (UK). The authorities should spare no effort to reverse this trend.”

The report focuses on the overall human rights landscape in the UK, children’s rights, and specific human rights issues relating to Northern Ireland.

“The report reflects the anxiety about the direction of human rights protection in the UK that I encountered during my visit,” she continued. 

“This anxiety is fed by what appears to be an increasingly antagonistic attitude towards human rights by the UK government, and especially by recent and proposed changes to laws and policies.”

The commissioner and her team met four ministers on their UK visit, including Justice Secretary Dominic Raab — the main proponent of the Bill of Rights, which critics have described as a “blatant power grab.” 

Ms Mijatovic called for a range of changes, including measures to urgently combat child poverty in Britain. She also reiterated her call on the Westminster government not to allow WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to be extradited. 

A government spokesperson said: “The government is committed to protecting human rights and will continue to champion them internationally and at home.

“The Bill of Rights will strengthen human rights such as freedom of expression, while the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act improves the balance between the right to protest and the rights of others to go about their business.”