27 May 2022
The Queen’s Speech and Human Rights The Queen’s Speech opening a new session of Parliament was delivered on the 10 May. It presented a lengthy list of legislative proposals that the government intends to take forward in this next session of Parliament. Unfortunately, the speech contained some very unwelcome announcements from a human rights perspective. We […]
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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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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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18 February 2021
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK clearly helped to avoid the chaos anticipated by a No Deal Brexit that would have created extensive trade barriers and tariffs between the two trading zones. But as the agreement was reached so close to the end of the transition period, there are also […]
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22 October 2019
The UK’s withdrawal from the EU is the biggest constitutional shift in Northern Ireland since our devolution settlement. The EU (Withdrawal Amendment) Bill is a major piece of constitutional law and the UK Government’s planned agenda will push this through parliament with minimal scrutiny and no time for MPs and Peers to engage with the […]
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07 February 2019
With only a few short weeks until the 29 March, the official date when the United Kingdom will leave the European Union, the prospect of a ‘No Deal Brexit’ is danger of becoming a reality. A reality that would have dire consequences from the perspective of rights protection. Following its failure to get support from Parliament for the […]
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12 October 2016
We have submitted evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights in Westminster. The Joint Committee is conducting an inquiry into the human rights implications of Brexit and issued a call for evidence. Our submission looks at some key areas which the Committee should explore in more detail: The particular importance of human rights frameworks […]
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05 October 2016
The Human Rights Consortium is one of the current applicants in a Northern Ireland based Judicial Review of the Brexit process. The Consortium have outlined that the case, which is being heard in the Belfast High Court at present, is focussed on upholding existing human rights protections and the elements of the Northern Ireland peace […]
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08 June 2016
Human rights issues have largely been ignored in the debates around the EU referendum. With just two weeks to go until we get to decide to stay or go, we need to focus on human rights . The core human rights instrument in the UK is the Human Rights Act. Its origins in the European […]
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08 June 2016
Human rights issues have largely been ignored in the debates around the EU referendum. With just two weeks to go until we get to decide to stay or go, we need to focus on human rights . The core human rights instrument in the UK is the Human Rights Act. Its origins in the European Convention of […]
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