WATCH: Matt Goodwin calls for Britain to leave the ECHR
GB NEWS
The ECHR is 'crucial' to protecting human rights across Europe, Labour's Justice Secretary has claimed
Don't Miss
Most Read
Trending on GB News
Labour has quietly pledged its "unequivocal" commitment to the controversial European Court of Human Rights in a letter Facts4EU has shared with GB News.
It comes as the Government looks to recruit a new British judge to sit on the panel of the ECHR - the judicial body that's capable of overruling the UK's own Supreme Court.
In it, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood hails how the Court and its 46 judges are "crucial to the operation" of the European Convention on Human Rights.
She also warns of how "the rule of law is under threat across parts of Europe" as she pushes to find the UK's best applicant.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood hails how the Court and its 46 judges are 'crucial to the operation' of the ECHR
Elsewhere in the listing, Mahmood outlines a large amount of information, including an invitation to a "closed event" - as well as details of the prospective UK judge's pay and "generous" benefits package on offer in Strasbourg, where salaries are tax-free.
Applicants will need a "passive knowledge of French, or a commitment to acquire such knowledge in due course, so as to be able to play a full part in the work of the Court".
As a result, Facts4EU, which brought the letter to light, warns that the language requirements prove that France "exerts a subtle but powerful influence over the entire panel of 46 judges".
It is understood that a three-person shortlist of candidates has already been decided.
The winning judge will then be elected by a majority vote at a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe this month.
LATEST MEMBERSHIP STORIES ON THE ECHR:
Shabana Mahmood also warns of how 'the rule of law is under threat across parts of Europe'
PA
The ECHR is at the centre of a row between Remainers and Brexiteers, with the latter pushing for Britain to leave the Strasbourg-based court so it is no longer subject to its rulings.
The judicial body has blocked the deportation of illegal migrants to Rwanda and has ruled against the UK on a string of other immigration cases.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood's letter appears to cement Labour's commitment to the controversial court as both Reform UK and the Conservatives move against the ECHR.
Just days ago, Kemi Badenoch revealed that she was asking her Shadow Attorney General to examine "what the unintended consequences might be" if Britain left the ECHR entirely.
"It is clear that the ECHR is a major issue," she vowed. "I'm not asking Lord Wolfson if we should leave - that's a political not a legal question.
"I'm asking him to set out how we would leave and to consider what the unintended consequences might be, not least, in Northern Ireland, if we decide to go down this route, we must do so knowingly."
Kemi Badenoch revealed that she was asking her Shadow Attorney General to examine 'unintended consequences' of Britain leaving the ECHR entirely
GETTY
In response to a request for comment, a Downing Street spokesman told GB News that the government "welcomes efforts to ensure the European Convention on Human Rights is being applied correctly and allowing countries to protect their borders".
He continued: "It's important there is discussion on how the ECHR operates to ensure it can safeguard human rights while meeting the needs of democracies.
"The Prime Minister has been clear on this: it should be Parliament that makes the rules on immigration and Government that makes the policy.
"That's why this Government is actually taking action on the ECHR. Our immigration White Paper sets out new plans through legislation to tighten the application of the ECHR, giving courts the clarity they need so our immigration rules are no longer abused, and as the Prime Minister has said, we want to ensure the right balance is made in migration cases in relation to the national interest."
More From GB News