EU Charter of Fundamental Human Rights

Part of Court of Justice of the European Union – in the House of Commons at 4:46 pm on 12 July 2012.

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Photo of Oliver Heald Oliver Heald Conservative, North East Hertfordshire 4:46, 12 July 2012

My concern is that the Council of Europe includes large and important countries such as Russia and Turkey. At the moment, those countries seem to be taking a constructive approach to the implementation of court judgments, criticisms and so on. There seems to be an improving picture. The Russians recently gave evidence to the committee on legal affairs and human rights about what they are doing. There is a great difference between being criticised and having a constructive approach within an organisation that one is part of and having another organisation that one is not part of shouting from the sidelines. Does my right hon. Friend understand that the 27 lecturing the others is not going to work and that we must avoid it?