The group, which is co-convened by Stephen Hockman QC, former Chairman of the Bar Council, wrote to The Times after the launch of a Commission on a UK Bill of Rights, in March. Its letter sets out principles to be used as framework for human rights, including that the European Convention on Human Rights defines the minimum level of human rights protection, and that the UK courts must retain powers to give effect to those rights, to take Strasbourg decisions into account, and to depart from those decisions where there is “good reason” to do so (see p 38)