Tory minister Ken Clarke has launched a strident attack on plans floated by Conservative colleagues to reform human rights laws.
The minister without portfolio insisted he would not support any attempt to repeal the Human Rights Act or pull Britain out of its obligations on rights in Europe.
He spoke out after Justice Secretary Chris Grayling indicated the Tories could scrap the legislation and suggestions that Theresa May wants the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Mr Clarke's comments are likely to reignite tensions with the Home Secretary, who he repeatedly clashed with during his time as justice secretary.
He said remaining part of the European Convention on Human Rights is vital in maintaining the UK's international standing as well as protecting individuals subjected to "lynch mobs", particularly in today's "highly tempestuous, tabloid newspaper-dominated world".
Asked about suggestions that the Human Rights Act could be repealed, he told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: "I wouldn't be in favour of that. We obviously must remain parties to the European Convention on Human Rights. It is extremely important that we are one of the leading members of that and make sure we keep up the pressure that helps us put mainly on countries in the former Soviet Union."
He added: "We can review the best way of applying it but in today's highly tempestuous, tabloid newspaper-dominated world, with a lynch mob every week for somebody or other, you need a convention on human rights, you need to be able to apply it - particularly, unfortunately, when unpopular individuals are being campaigned against in the newspapers or being pursued by officials or somebody - that's what the convention of human rights is for."
Mr Grayling mooted plans to overhaul human rights laws on Sunday when he suggested recent rulings of the court had moved a long way from the original aims of the convention, which was drawn up in the aftermath of the Second World War. "I've not ruled anything in, I've not ruled anything out," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics.
The move has been seen as an attempt to appease disgruntled party activists in the wake of last week's dismal by-election result in Eastleigh, although Prime Minister David Cameron has insisted he would not "lurch to the right".
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes said most members of the public would not back reforms and warned it would send out the wrong message to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.
