How Convention rights are enforced against public authorities under the Human Rights Act 1998 — who can sue, who can be sued, and what the courts can do about a breach.
A Convention right is only as good as the machinery for enforcing it, and that machinery has its own rules at every stage. This chapter begins with the section 6 duty and the distinction between core and hybrid public authorities, then moves to who counts as a victim under section 7 and the time limit for a freestanding claim. It examines the section 3 interpretive obligation and the limited horizontal effect of Convention rights in private disputes, alongside the section 6(2) defence where primary legislation leaves an authority no choice. Finally, it covers declarations of incompatibility and remedial orders — what they do and what they cannot do for the claimant — and the remedies available under section 8, including the conditions and measure for an award of damages.
