ABSTRACT
In Chapter 1 constitutional law was described as being concerned with the role and powers of state institutions and with the relationship between the citizen and the state. In this chapter we examine the relationship between the individual and the state, in particular the protections given by the common law and statute to the freedoms and liberties of the individual within the state. The entire landscape of this relationship has been crucially changed by the Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998. We will examine the Act and its impact in some detail here, but for a full study guide the student is referred to the comprehensive Lawcard on Human Rights (2010).
