Addressing third-year international law students who packed the hall at the University of Malta, Ms Booth explained that the legitimacy of the United Nations and the concept of a universal human rights framework is entrenched in Pope John XXIII’s Pacem in Terris encyclical, written in 1963. This was a breakthrough for the church in relation to its position on human rights. Pope John XXIII, said Ms Booth, had managed to break away from the “objectionist standing that previous popes had taken before him on the issue, especially vis-a-vis the acknowledgement of different faiths and the right to practice them”.

Apart from being the British Prime Minister’s wife and the mother of four, Ms Booth is an experienced barrister and a founder member of the Matrix Chambers, a law firm that specialises in domestic and international law.

In her lecture entitled Human Rights: A Personal Perspective, she gave a detailed analysis of human rights in relation to the Catholic Church. A Catholic herself, Ms Booth said that giving the lecture to a predominantly Catholic audience was a pleasure for her, given the fact that she came from a country where Catholicism is a minority.

She said that the so-called first-world had made great strides in the legislation and implementation of human rights. She warned, however, that there is nothing to be complacent about, pointing out that there were still matters in which “we are lagging behind”. She mentioned a number of areas in which both the developed nations and the church itself had to improve in terms of human rights.

Concluding her analysis of Pacem in Terris, Ms Booth highlighted four points which stem from the document and are still relevant to today’s situation.

The United Nations has to rediscover its legitimacy, which, said Ms Booth, Pope John XXIII believed is based on the consensus over its setting-up by sovereign nations and from the nature of its pursuit. The second point is a renewed emphasis on the right to life. She said that there were 83 countries where the death penalty was still in force, adding that 81 per cent of executions took place in the US, China and Iran.

In connection with the right to life, Ms Booth pointed out the need for rich countries to focus on the development of poorer countries. Some 1.2 billion people live with inadequate water facilities, she said. There is need for a concerted effort on this matter in order to achieve the reduction or complete forfeiture of third-world debt. Finally, she mentioned racism and respect for diversity.

The recent surge of extreme right-wing parties throughout Europe is worrying and has to be tackled forcefully if human rights are to be maintained. She also mentioned women’s rights. Referring to a recent document issued by the Rome Curia, she said that the Church had made considerable progress on the issue and has stated that it is for the equality of the sexes. However it still does not provide answers to the pressing questions of women who search for fulfilment in their professional careers as well as their family lives.

Later in the afternoon, Ms Booth addressed a one-day conference regarding EU law and its effect on the local judiciary, where she gave an analysis of how EU law affected the British legal system.

The conference was organised by the Judicial Studies Committee, The Chamber of Advocates and the British High Commission.