The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission’s legal powers are set out under sections 69(5), 70, 78C and 78D of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. These include providing legal assistance to individuals and taking proceedings relating to the protection of human rights, including those related to Article 2(1) of the Windsor Framework.

The NIHRC may support an individual to challenge a human rights violation in the courts or seek the permission of the Court to intervene in a human rights case. It may also initiate own-motion legal proceedings, where a legal case is taken in the NIHRC’s own name, without having to rely on an individual victim.

Decisions to grant legal support or initiate a legal case are made by the Board of Commissioners in line with the NIHRC’s policy for granting legal assistance. Read our Policy for Granting Legal Assistance here. 

You can read more about the cases that the NIHRC has been involved with below.