Commission voices concern over UK human rights record

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (HRC) is set to address the United Nations Human Rights Commission this week on the UK government’s alleged failure to protect civil liberties in Northern Ireland.

The HRC said it will express concern about recent legislation on the conduct of inquiries and control orders as a counter-terrorism measure to the 61st session of the UN Commission on Human Rights, which is meeting in Geneva.

The Commission said it has expressed “deep concern” that the provisions of the Inquiries Act are not compliant with the right to life under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights and do not allow for the necessary independence of an effective investigation. The Act will govern the inquiry into the killing of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane which will examine allegations of state collusion with loyalist paramilitaries in his murder.

HRC Chief Executive, Ms Paddy Sloan, said: “This new legislation will not contribute to public confidence in the administration of justice. We believe it will vest too much control in government Ministers and deny public access to full information.”

However, responding Ulster Unionist Candidate for South Down, Dermot Nesbitt, said the Commission was clearly out of step with what was going on in Northern Ireland.

“Clearly, as indicated by the high-levels of local, national and international media coverage, the most important issues facing Northern Ireland today are the unremitting, barbaric paramilitary attacks and the increasing gangster-like behaviour," Mr Nesbitt said.

“But, rather than addressing these as a matter of urgency, the Human Rights Commission has chosen to ignore them completely, commenting, instead, on the recently passed Inquiries Act and issuing advice on how deaths caused by the police or security forces should be dealt with by the government.

"The Commission has missed the point entirely. It’s about time they focused on, and dealt with, the realities facing Northern Ireland that deny its citizens normal politics. It’s about time they ‘got real’.”

(MB/GB)