05 February 2022
The implications for Northern Ireland of UK government plans to reform the Human Rights Act were discussed at a recent Consortium briefing webinar. On the 14th December 2021 the UK Government announced a public consultation on their plans to scrap the Human Rights Act and replace it with a Bill of Rights. The Human Rights Act has […]
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17 December 2021
The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland (referred to as ‘the Protocol’) is a Protocol (or a formal international agreement) of the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union (known as the UK Withdrawal Agreement). As a legal document the Protocol recognizes the unique situation of […]
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14 December 2021
The Human Rights Consortium, a coalition of over 165 civil society organisations from across Northern Ireland has criticised news that the UK Government plans to reform the operation of the Human Rights Act. The UK Government is due to announce plans to launch a three-month consultation process with the aim of reforming the Human Rights […]
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10 December 2021
Over 50 civil society organisations from across Northern Ireland have written to the First and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland to challenge the circumstances which led to the recent suspension of the Ad-Hoc committee on a Bill of Rights at Stormont and called on the UK and Irish Governments to intervene to progress a […]
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18 November 2021
Nearly a year after the end of the transition period (31 December 2020), the Northern Ireland/Ireland Protocol is at the centre of continuing political instability and divisions. While the United Kingdom (UK) and European Union (EU) appear on face value to be united in their desire to overcome their ongoing disagreements regarding the Protocol, the […]
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23 June 2021
The Human Rights Consortium in collaboration by Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast have published new public polling that has found significant cross-community support for the inclusion of a range of rights in a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. The polling demonstrates that societal factors such as Brexit, conversations concerning the future of Northern Ireland […]
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01 April 2021
The Human Rights Consortium welcomes new findings from the Ad Hoc Committee on a Bill of Rights consultation survey that 80% of respondents believe that a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland is “important or very important,”. The survey was carried out between November 2020 and February 2021 to explore and understand how people today feel about the creation of the Bill of Rights […]
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19 March 2021
The Human Rights Consortium is currently recruiting for two new staff posts to complement our existing staff team and help enhance our work to protect and advance human rights in Northern Ireland. Details of the two positions are available below and specific job descriptions, person specifications and application forms are available to download via the link at the […]
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15 March 2021
After a very protracted process the EU and UK finally agreed to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) on Christmas Eve 2020. The TCA document itself runs to over 1,200 pages and contains many important elements that relate to the future UK approach to human rights. To distil some of these elements the Consortium has […]
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05 March 2021
The Human Rights Consortium has made a submission to the Independent Human Rights Act Review (IHRAR) set up by the UK Government. The Consortium has very serious concerns about the Government’s intention in triggering a review of the Human Rights Act. t In various approaches since 2010 the Government have been attempting to remove the Human […]
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