“The attention paid to ‘sectarianism’ in this paper, is not intended to be judgemental or pejorative, but to describe a common predicament: we were raised in a society where sectarianism was ‘built in’ to normality.” That single sentence taken from page 8 of Sectarianism in Northern Ireland: A Review, published in early May, encapsulates the…Continue reading A re-tread of tired approaches: A review of ‘Sectarianism in Northern Ireland: A Review’ Guest post by Brian Gormally, Director, CAJ
Category: Equality
Will NI-born Irish citizens have to pay a £65 or £437 fee to keep some EU rights after Brexit? Guest post by Daniel Holder, Deputy Director, CAJ
The above derided Home Office tweet and other official Brexit communications overlook the part of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) where the UK recognises the birthright of those born in Northern Ireland to be accepted as Irish and hold Irish citizenship. Given this recognition it is hardly compatible with the GFA to casually imply…Continue reading Will NI-born Irish citizens have to pay a £65 or £437 fee to keep some EU rights after Brexit? Guest post by Daniel Holder, Deputy Director, CAJ
BREXIT – Sleepwalking into second class EU citizenship? Guest post by Daniel Holder, CAJ
Despite earlier commitments, recent UK and EU statements now point to Northern Ireland (NI)-resident Irish passport holders being stripped of access to almost all active EU rights following BREXIT. Should a recent EU Commission response to a question by Martina Anderson MEP stand it would leave NI resident citizens with only the same ‘dormant’ EU…Continue reading BREXIT – Sleepwalking into second class EU citizenship? Guest post by Daniel Holder, CAJ
UK found to be in ‘grave and systematic’ violation of women’s human rights due to restrictive abortion laws in Northern Ireland Guest Post by Dr Catherine O'Rourke
Dr Catherine O’Rourke is Senior Lecturer in Human Rights and International Law at Ulster University Transitional Justice Institute and School of Law. She co-authored the submission requesting the CEDAW Committee to conduct an inquiry into access to abortion in Northern Ireland with Jude Cross (Alliance for Choice), Ann Marie Gray (NIWEP) and the Audrey Simpson…Continue reading UK found to be in ‘grave and systematic’ violation of women’s human rights due to restrictive abortion laws in Northern Ireland Guest Post by Dr Catherine O’Rourke
The Agreement at 20 Guest Post by Kevin Hanratty
(This personal reflection is a cross posted article from the Irish News and The Human Rights Consortium) 20 years ago today I sat with friends in our student accommodation in Belfast and watched as politicians emerged to announce the new peace deal that was the Good Friday Agreement. We were all students at Queens, had grown up in the…Continue reading The Agreement at 20 Guest Post by Kevin Hanratty
The Return of the Bill of Rights? Guest Post by Professor Colin Harvey and Dr Anne Smith
The Northern Ireland Bill of Rights appears to have made a comeback. A process that involved much collective effort seemed to have ended in the vague language of paragraph 69 of the Stormont House Agreement (SHA). With no one prepared to take responsibility for its advancement, hope had faded; like much else relating to rights…Continue reading The Return of the Bill of Rights? Guest Post by Professor Colin Harvey and Dr Anne Smith
The Good Friday Agreement at 20 Event Invitation - 10 April 2018
To Register for the event and details of the upcoming seminars please go to the eventbrite page HERE This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. As we reach this milestone, we believe that it is time to not only celebrate the achievement of the Agreement and the role that civic…Continue reading The Good Friday Agreement at 20 Event Invitation – 10 April 2018
CAJ Initial comments on draft Withdrawal Agreement protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland Guest Post by Brian Gormally, CAJ
Synopsis of the Contents The Protocol begins with a lengthy preamble dealing with the context which has led to it. The vital points are: The GFA must be protected “in all its parts” The commitment of the UK to protect North-South cooperation and the guarantee to avoid a hard border are “overarching requirements” and any…Continue reading CAJ Initial comments on draft Withdrawal Agreement protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland Guest Post by Brian Gormally, CAJ
#CAREDAY18 – TIME TO GET SOCIAL, GET VOCAL AND GET TOGETHER Guest Post by Ruth Barry, VOYPIC
VOYPIC (Voice of Young People in Care) invited everyone to be part of Care Day on Friday 16 February. The feedback is simple – “Best ever Care Day” and it really was an A to Z of activity from early morning till late in the evening. From awards for achievements to a Zoom call…Continue reading #CAREDAY18 – TIME TO GET SOCIAL, GET VOCAL AND GET TOGETHER Guest Post by Ruth Barry, VOYPIC
Implementing the ‘Petition of Concern’ – A CAJ Briefing Paper Jan 2018 Guest Post by Daniel Holder, CAJ
Background The Petition of Concern mechanism has never been implemented as the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) and Northern Ireland Act (NIA) intend or require. This largely due to the way the Standing Orders of the Assembly have been drafted and applied; The Petition of Concern is linked to safeguards in the GFA relating to equality…Continue reading Implementing the ‘Petition of Concern’ – A CAJ Briefing Paper Jan 2018 Guest Post by Daniel Holder, CAJ
The CAJ Equality Duty Enforcement Project and Equality Coalition Research ‘Equal to the Task?’ Guest Post by Caroline Maguire, CAJ
With the help of a grant from the Baring Foundation the CAJ has established an Equality Duty Enforcement Project. The project aims to support the work of the members of the Equality Coalition to (i) take forward complaints and other interventions to ensure Northern Ireland’s “Section 75” public sector equality duty is complied with; and…Continue reading The CAJ Equality Duty Enforcement Project and Equality Coalition Research ‘Equal to the Task?’ Guest Post by Caroline Maguire, CAJ
Council of Europe minority rights report – time to move on Irish language act and end abuse of the ‘good relations’ duty
This week saw the publication of the Fourth Opinion on the UK by the Council of Europe Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for National Minorities. In accordance with the treaty-body procedure the report itself was finalised on the 25 May 2016 but awaited UK government comments before its publication. The report therefore was completed…Continue reading Council of Europe minority rights report – time to move on Irish language act and end abuse of the ‘good relations’ duty