HUMAN RIGHTS LEGISLATION TO CHALLENGE ACCA TYRANNY ACCA's practices face a new challenge from the The Human Rights Act 1998. The Act came into force today (2nd October 2000). It formally makes the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) part of the UK law and gives everyone a right to freedom of expression, freedom of opinion and a right to follow their conscience.

The Act applies to all 'public bodies'. Under the terms of the legislation, ACCA is a 'public body'. The ACCA has sought to silence reformers by imposing its Code of Practice on not only ACCA council members but also candidates to council elections. It contains gagging orders prohibiting ACCA members from speaking out about poor ACCA policies. ACCA has also run hate campaigns in its magazine against ACCA members and has also tried to pressurize the employers of reformers. The in-house magazine remains highly censored.

Legal opinion obtained by AABA suggests that the ACCA's Code of Practice is incompatible with the Human Rights Act.

The legislation offers legal remedies against 'public bodies' breaching the Act. If you think that a public authority has breached your Convention  rights, you can  take the authority to court within a year of the act complained of. If the court finds that a public authority has breached your Convention rights, it can award whatever remedy is open to it and seems just and appropriate.  This could include damages.