Criticism of UK human rights record

Amnesty Urges Creation of Human Rights Commission

In a letter to the Prime Minister, the organisation proposes setting up a Human Rights Commission. Amnesty welcomes the Government's commitment to place human rights at the heart of its foreign policy, but it says many practices at home fall well short of internationally agreed standards.

A new Amnesty report cites inadequacies in the inquest system for investigating deaths in custody. It is also critical of the treatment of prisoners in special secure units, and lists issues related to disputed shootings and killings by the security forces in Northern Ireland.

The author of the Amnesty report, Halya Gowan, talks to the BBC