Abstract
The principal provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998 came into force on 2 October 2000.1 Extending to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, it incorporates into UK law the rights and freedoms set out in the European The Human Rights Act 1998 applies to al1 public authorities. The effect of this is that the articles set out in Schedule 1 to the Act shape the way individuals should be treated by public authorities. The 1998 Act is, therefore, potentially relevant to every act or decision taken by a local authority. With regard to statutory nuisance enforcement, this means that decisions whether to serve an abatement notice, or whether to commence (or discontinue with) a prosecution under section 80 of the Environmental Protection Act J 990 CEPA 1990’), have to be made in the light of the Act. Other decisions relevant