NIHRC Reports to UN Committee Against Torture

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has provided evidence to the United Nations Committee Against Torture on the current human rights situation in Northern Ireland. The UN Committee is examining the UK’s compliance with the Convention Against Torture.
NIHRC Chief Commissioner’ Professor Michael O’Flaherty’ said:
‘The Commission has taken the invaluable opportunity to appear before the United Nations Committee to highlight the issues in Northern Ireland that require further attention from both the UK Government and the Assembly.
We raised the need for a comprehensive framework to deal with the past’ the worrying levels of paramilitary style attacks and so called punishment beatings’ concerns over prison conditions’ and the pressing need for all victims of historical abuse to receive adequate redress.
We have made a number of recommendations on how the Government can improve on all of these and other areas.’
ENDS
For further information please contact David Russell or Virginia McVea on (028) 9024 3987.
Notes to editors:
1. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is a statutory public body established in 1999 to promote and protect human rights. 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 (NI). The Commission is one of the three ‘A’ status National Human Rights Institutions in the UK. As a National Human Rights Institution the NIHRC engages with and reports to the United Nations’ and Council of Europe’s treaty monitoring processes.
2. The situation in Northern Ireland will be reviewed as part of the UK examination. It will take place at the United Nations offices in Geneva between the 6- 8th May 2013. This is the UK Governments 5th examination by the United Nations Committee Against Torture. The Committee will deliver its report and recommendations to the UK Government when the examination is complete. This report is anticipated in June 2013.
3. Access the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission’s full report to the Committee
4. In its report the Commission highlights a number of issues affecting Northern Ireland’ including:
i. Conditions in Northern Ireland’s prisons: The prison system in Northern Ireland is in the process of reform’ in this regard the Commission notes the need for changes to policies and procedures to lead to positive outcomes for prisoners.
ii. The absence of a statutory definition of restraint: Setting out circumstances in which restraint may and may not be used’ has led to inconsistent policies and practices and violations of the rights of vulnerable individuals.
iii. Immigration Detention: a number of issues arise with respect to immigration detention in Northern Ireland’ including the system to establish whether immigrants detained bear signs of torture.
iv. Dealing with the past: the need for a comprehensive framework of transitional justice and the need to address human rights abuses committed in the past and to provide redress and reparation to victims of the conflict in Northern Ireland.
v. Historical abuse: the need to ensure effective redress and reparations for victims of historical abuse and mistreatment. Specifically the issue of victims who fall outside the remit of the current inquiry into institutional abuse of children in Northern Ireland’ for example individuals over 18 who were detained in Magdalene Laundries or similar institutions.
vi. Counter Terrorism: the continued use of counter terrorism powers’ highlighting the need to ensure persons are subject to counter terrorism powers only when absolutely necessary.
5. Access the Committee Against Torture’s Concluding Observations