The Human Rights Act 1998 (also known as the Act or the HRA) came into force in the United Kingdom in October 2000. It is composed of a series of sections that have the effect of codifying the protections in the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law.

All public bodies (such as courts, police, local governments, hospitals, publicly funded schools, and others) and other bodies carrying out public functions have to comply with the Convention rights.

This means, among other things, that individuals can take human rights cases in domestic courts; they no longer have to go to Strasbourg to argue their case in the European Court of Human Rights.

The Act sets out the fundamental rights and freedoms that individuals in the UK have access to. They include:

1. Right to life
2. Freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment
3. Right to liberty and security
4. Freedom from slavery and forced labour
5. Right to a fair trial
6. No punishment without law
7. Respect for your private and family life, home and correspondence
8. Freedom of thought, belief and religion
9. Freedom of expression
10. Freedom of assembly and association
11. Right to marry and start a family
12. Protection from discrimination in respect of these rights and freedoms
13. Right to peaceful enjoyment of your property
14. Right to education
15. Right to participate in free elections

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"Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either."