Bill of Rights: Liz Truss shelves plans to reform human rights law

Liz Truss's government has shelved plans for a law designed to give ministers the power to ignore human rights rulings from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

The Bill of Rights, championed by former Justice Secretary Dominic Raab, was due back before Parliament.

Mr Raab said the bill would reassert the primacy of UK law on human rights cases.

But a source said the bill is unlikely to progress in its current form.

A source told BBC political editor Chris Mason that Ms Truss's new administration was "reviewing the most effective means to deliver objectives through our legislative agenda".

The Bill of Rights was intended to make clear that the UK's Supreme Court had legal supremacy and ECHR decisions did not always need to be followed by British courts.

The bill also contained measures to strengthen free speech and make it easier to deport foreign criminals by restricting their right to appeal using human rights arguments.

Downing Street declined to guarantee that a new Bill of Rights will be introduced during the current Parliament.

Earlier this year, the ECHR - which is based in Strasbourg - blocked the British government's plans to send migrants to Rwanda.

The bill triggered concern from the legal profession and human rights groups, who accused the government of a power grab.

Last year the government launched what it said were "common sense" reforms to the Human Rights Act, saying they would "restore confidence" in the legal system.

The Human Rights Act was introduced more than 20 years ago and it sets out in law a set of minimum standards of how everyone should be treated by public bodies.

The proposals committed to staying within the ECHR, despite pressure from some Conservatives to leave the treaty.

Mr Raab said the UK would "remain a party to the European Convention on Human Rights", while saying the government wanted to "change, reform to revise" how it is interpreted by courts.