Even prior to the Human Rights Act the UK was bound by Article 10 of the EChHR, it just wasn't directly enforceable by UK courts (one first had to exhaust domes

Even prior to the Human Rights Act the UK was bound by Article 10 of the EChHR, it just wasn't directly enforceable by UK courts (one first had to exhaust domestic legal challenges and then bring a case in Strasbourg at the ECtHR)