The president of the Irish Human Rights Commission has announced that the procedure for appointment of the board of the new merged Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) should be revised in order to meet the standards required under UN principles for national human rights institutions. The IHRC president, Dr Maurice Manning, called for the legislation setting up the new body to be in line with the Paris Principles. He stated that, "there can be no question but that the definitions of human rights and equality in the legislation must be broad enough to ensure that the IHREC can hold the State to account across the full range of human rights and equality standards that Ireland has committed to uphold". Dr Manning noted his concern that certain human resources, administrative and financial controls would be moved into the Department of Justice's system. He stressed the importance of separateness from that system and also the importance of adequate funding.
Click here to read an article in the Irish Times.
Dr Manning made this call for a strengthening of the above legislation at the launch of the IHRC’s 2011 Annual Report. This is the last report of the IHRC before it is merged with the Equality Commission. The report noted a number of developments and achievements within the IHRC throughout the previous year. There was almost a 15% increase in communications from the general public and organisations since 2010, the IHRC published a report on religion and education, and implemented a civil and public service education and training programme.
Click here to read a press release from the IHRC on the event.
In other news the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) recently held an event entitled "Hear Our Voices" on the subject of the upcoming Irish Constitutional Convention. The event called on the Government to hear the views of civil society groups on matters of constitutional reform. Mark Kelly, ICCL Director, warned that the potential of the Convention would not be realised if civil society groups were not involved in the process. The Constitutional Convention is to be composed of "ordinary citizens" and elected representatives. Civil society groups are not to be represented within the composition of the Convention. Independent Senator Katherine Zappone spoke at the conference and stated that members of the Oireachtas were not receiving detailed information about the design and establishment of the convention. Mark Kelly stated that the ‘explicit exclusion of representative and civil society organisations from participating in the process should be revised’.
Click here to read an article in the Irish Times.