Cutting through the noise: The legitimacy of the European Convention on Human Rights in the British press

Balabanova, E ORCID: 0000-0001-6962-9905 and Horton, G ORCID: 0009-0003-3993-672X (2026) Cutting through the noise: The legitimacy of the European Convention on Human Rights in the British press British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 28 (2). pp. 674-696. ISSN 1369-1481, 1467-856X

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Abstract

This article presents the first systematic analysis of British press coverage regarding the legitimacy of the European Convention on Human Rights and European Court of Human Rights over 25 years (1997–2022). It finds that coverage undermining legitimacy falls into three main areas: limiting or eroding national sovereignty, inadequate performance or effectiveness and disrupting the ‘natural order’. Coverage supporting or defending legitimacy is about providing a safety net, maintaining the international human rights system, and protecting freedoms and liberties. These are distributed unevenly across the six newspapers included in the sample. Critical coverage maps closely to legal scholarship on challenges for legitimacy associated with the identity of the United Kingdom as a political constitutionalist state. Supportive coverage, however, does not fully reflect the broad range of arguments in favour of the legitimacy of the European Convention on Human Rights as identified by human rights campaigners; it is also less abundant, narrower and more tactically defensive.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	European Convention on Human Rights, European Court of Human Rights, human rights, legitimacy, British press
Divisions:	Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > School of the Arts Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > School of the Arts > Communication and Media Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > Faculty of Humanities & Social Sci (All T&R Staff) Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > School of the Arts > School of the Arts (T&R Staff)
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	05 Jan 2026 16:55
Last Modified:	01 May 2026 09:46
DOI:	10.1177/13691481251395313
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1177/13691481251395313
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3196437
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