Rishi Sunak blasts European court ‘over-reach’ on net zero amid Tory row to pull out of human rights body ahead of Rwanda flights vote

Rishi Sunak has hit out at the ‘complete overreach’ of the European Court of Human Rights after it ruled that governments have an obligation to act on climate change.

No10 hit out at the Strasbourg court after it last week sided with Swiss women – backed by Greta Thunberg – who brought a case that their government was not doing enough to protect them from climate shock.

It found favor with the group, who said their country’s inaction in the face of rising temperatures puts them at risk of dying during heat waves.

But British ministers have questioned the validity of the ruling, saying it overreaches in national politics.

After it was criticized by Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho last week, a No 10 source told the Telegraph yesterday: ‘The Prime Minister’s view was that this judgment is a complete overreach and an illegitimate interpretation of the text of the ECHR. No doubt about it.’

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Switzerland’s weak climate policies violate basic human rights – its first ruling against a state on the issue.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg, who was in court for the ruling, said it was a ‘call to action’ and underlines the ‘importance of taking our national governments to justice’.

The case was brought by about 2,500 Swiss women, with an average age of 74, who claimed they were at greater risk of dying from heat waves. The ruling opens the door to further legal challenges in countries that are members of the Council of Europe, which includes the 27 EU nations as well as Britain and Turkey.

The attack on the ECHR comes amid an ongoing Tory row over Britain’s membership of the transnational court.

The right-wing has called for it to leave its jurisdiction if it tries to block flights taking asylum seekers to Rwanda if a new law is passed this week, as expected.

But at least 12 ministers would oppose leaving the treaty and the Strasbourg court, according to a new analysis.

The dozen skeptics include Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Home Secretary James Cleverly, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, the Times reported.

It could set the Conservative Party on a self-destructive course if Mr Sunak decides to promise changes to Britain’s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The Prime Minister last week appeared to change his stance when he said “border security and making sure we can control illegal migration is more important than membership of a foreign court”.