The National School of Government and the Ministry of Justice are using e-learning in a bid to promote a wider understanding of Human Rights across government.

The decision to launch the campaign follows an internal review by the then Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, of the implementation of the Human Rights Act. The review highlighted amongst other things a need to promote a wider understanding of the Act across the Civil-Service, and led to the commissioning of this awareness programme.

As part of this initiative, Epic have been commissioned to produce an e-learning package. The package will be based on existing best practise, will use scenario-based learning to engage the audience, and provide a resource base for future reference.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: We want to make this awareness-raising programme available as widely as possible across public authorities. By using the e-learning route it should be available to anyone with the necessary access.”

The Human Rights Act 1998 gives further effect in the UK to the 16 fundamental rights and freedoms contained in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). These rights affect not only matters of life and death, like freedom from torture and killing but also the everyday rights of ordinary people: what they can say and do, their beliefs, their right to a fair trial and many other similar basic entitlements.