London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

Ex-Tory who slammed European Court of Human Rights takes UK to … European Court of Human Rights

Ex-Tory who slammed European Court of Human Rights takes UK to … European Court of Human Rights

Former Conservative MP — and critic of the ECHR — challenges UK’s handling of lobbying probe.
A former Conservative MP who repeatedly criticized the European Court of Human Rights is taking the U.K. government to… the European Court of Human Rights.

Owen Paterson stepped down from the U.K. parliament last year after a House of Commons probe found he broke its rules on paid lobbying. He has now lodged a complaint with the ECHR claiming that the investigation breached his right to a private life under the Convention’s Article 8.

Last year the U.K.’s parliamentary watchdog recommended Paterson face a 30-day ban from the House of Commons after it found he had “repeatedly” used his position as an MP “to promote the companies by whom he was paid.”

At the time Paterson strongly pushed back against the watchdog’s findings, claiming the methods used by the investigation “do not create a just and fair outcome.”

Paterson eventually resigned from parliament after a botched attempt by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson to rally around the embattled MP.

In his application to the ECHR, summarized by the court, Paterson said the U.K. watchdog’s findings had “damaged his good reputation” and that the process by which the allegations against him were investigated was “not fair in many basic respects.”

Paterson has previously taken aim at the ECHR and the European Convention on Human Rights that underpins it, both frequent bugbears of Euroskeptics in the governing Tory Party.

In a speech to the campaign group Business for Britain in 2014, Paterson said it would be easier to stop EU migrants coming to the U.K. if Britain were to withdraw from the ECHR.

“Much of the problematical immigration into this country stems not just from the EU but from the European Court of Human Rights,” he said at the time. “This is exacerbated by the rulings of judges in the court at Strasbourg and by our own U.K. courts implementing the Human Rights Act.” He has also argued for the U.K. to adopt its own Bill of Rights to set the country “free from the ECHR.”

Paterson’s complaint is at what is known as the “communication stage,” meaning the ECHR has formally asked U.K. authorities to respond and may request more information. The complaint could still be dismissed by the court if it is not deemed admissible.

Paterson was approached for comment but had yet to respond at the time of publication.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
×