NI Human Rights Commission provides evidence to Westminster Committee on Human Rights Act reform

Chief Commissioner Les Allamby will join the chairs of the UK’s National Human Rights Institutions (the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Scottish Human Rights Commission) to brief the Westminster Joint Committee on Human Rights about the impact and value of the Human Rights Act in light of the independent review into the Act.

NIHRC Chief Commissioner, Les Allamby, said:

“We welcome the opportunity to provide evidence to the Committee and the Northern Ireland context. It is important to note that the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement committed the UK Government to incorporate the European Convention on Human Rights into Northern Ireland law, with direct access to the courts, and remedies for breaches of the Convention.

“We strongly caution against any proposals by the UK Government which would diminish existing human rights protections in Northern Ireland or weaken the mechanisms for securing redress for breaches of human rights.

The Human Rights Act has served us well in protecting human rights across many areas of public life”

ENDS

Further Information:

1. The Joint Committee on Human Rights evidence session will take place on Wednesday 10 March 2021 at 3pm: Read more about the evidence session..

Witnesses:

Les Allamby, Chief Commissioner, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Baroness Falkner, Chair Equality and Human Rights Commission

Judith Robertson, Chair, Scottish Human Rights Commission

2. The UK Government have set up an Independent Human Rights Act Review team to review the operation of the Human Rights Act. The Joint Committee on Human Rights evidence is seeking views to help inform its response to the independent review and its outcome.

3. The NI Human Rights Commission has submitted its recommendations in response to the Independent Human Rights Act Review team. Access the Commission's full submission.

4. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory body first proposed in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement (1998) and established in 1999 by the Northern Ireland Act (1998). It is answerable to Parliament at Westminster. In accordance with the Paris Principles the Commission reviews the adequacy and effectiveness of measures undertaken by the UK Government to promote and protect human rights, specifically within Northern Ireland.

Read about the Commission’s annual statement.