THE question in your legal feature 'Your Rights' (LET, December 1) was whether a Bill of Rights applies in this country.

The answer given was that although the Labour Party has promised a Bill of Rights similar to that in use in the USA, none exists at the moment.

This is a myth perpetuated by a large majority of the legal profession, from Law Lords down to humble solicitors and magistrates.

We have had a Bill of Rights in this country since 1688. They can be found in the Commons Journals for February 12, 1688. The American Bill of Rights is modelled on it.

As this is not an act of parliament, although passed by both houses, Lords and Commons, it cannot be repealed by an act of parliament, it was not given the Royal Assent - there was no monarch on the throne.

Nor can it be ignored. All who ignore it are supposedly guilty of treason.

Blackstone, who wrote the bible on English law, makes specific mention of it - "Common Law, therefore, is not subject to any arbitrary change by parliament, or the judiciary."

But still we have those who should know better, pretending it either does not exist, or are ignorant of it.

W HOLMES, Rough Lee, Accrington.

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