Spielmann: UK leaving ECHR would be a 'political disaster'

The President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Judge Dean Spielmann, has told HARDtalk it would be a "political disaster" if Britain left the European Convention on Human Rights.

"We have a unique system of protecting human rights," he said, "Britain should be very careful not to lose its credibility by taking such an important move," he added.

UK Conservative Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has said he is working on proposals for a "radical change" to human rights laws which would "curtail" the role of the ECHR in the UK.

You can watch the full interview on BBC World News on Tuesday 14 January at 16:30 and 21:30 GMT. It can also be seen on the BBC News Channel at 00:30 on Wednesday 15 January.

Watch more clips at HARDtalk's website