The Covid-19 pandemic has shocked and changed the world. CAJ is convinced that a human rights perspective is essential to both enduring the pandemic and moving into the future. For us, this approach can be summed up in the following imperatives: Protect people, restrict freedom only as necessary, help the most vulnerable, and together prepare…Continue reading Prepare for a better world Brian Gormally, Director, CAJ
Category: International
One rule for the military, another for the rest? Special courts and hiding accountability in Colombia Daniela Castillo, Volunteer for CAJ and Master’s Student at TJI
Since the 2014 Stormont House Agreement, there have been a number of alternative proposals to deal with the legacy of the Northern Ireland conflict recently examined in a report by the CAJ-QUB Model Bill Team. Many of these came from groupings seeking various forms of amnesty or ‘statutes of limitations’ for the security forces, specifically…Continue reading One rule for the military, another for the rest? Special courts and hiding accountability in Colombia Daniela Castillo, Volunteer for CAJ and Master’s Student at TJI
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
The Border, racial profiling and Irish citizens post BREXIT
An issue which has been aired in the run up to and aftermath of the referendum has been the fate of land border on the island of Ireland. At a level of political rhetoric the position of the Leave campaign was somewhat confusing, majoring on a platform of ‘taking back control’ of UK borders whilst…Continue reading The Border, racial profiling and Irish citizens post BREXIT
Twenty-fifth anniversary of the Human Rights Centre at Queen’s University Belfast: Quo Vadis?
We are delighted to welcome this guest post by Tom Hadden, Brice Dickson and Luke Moffett. The authors can be reached via l.moffett@qub.ac.uk This year we are celebrating twenty-five years of the Human Rights Centre in the School of Law at Queen’s University Belfast. The Centre has seen many students pass through its masters programme…Continue reading Twenty-fifth anniversary of the Human Rights Centre at Queen’s University Belfast: Quo Vadis?
Crisis at the borders: as EU leaders prepare to meet, call for open borders.
The following piece was written for a protest meeting held outside the EU Building in Belfast on 31st August 2015: Tell the EU to stop pushing refugees into the sea. We called for: open borders, the creation of safe passages, the treatment of refugees with dignity and respect, a stop to fueling the wars that…Continue reading Crisis at the borders: as EU leaders prepare to meet, call for open borders.
“Just another day in paradise”: the Calais situation
Screenshot from BBC Shorts: “DESPERATE TO GET THROUGH”, BBCshorts.tumblr.com, accessed 3rd August 2015. David Cameron proclaimed this week: “everything that can be done will be done to make sure our borders are secure and make sure that British holidaymakers are able to go on their holidays”. He was commenting as people are injured and dying…Continue reading “Just another day in paradise”: the Calais situation
The Hooded Men: The Wider Implications of Ireland v UK Revisited
Rights NI is delighted to welcome this guest post from Christopher Stanley of KRW LAW LLP KRW The decision of the Irish government confronted by a legal challenge from The Hooded Men to Apply under Rule 80 of the Rules of European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) for the inter-state case of Ireland v UK…Continue reading The Hooded Men: The Wider Implications of Ireland v UK Revisited
Could the NI Assembly legislate for the Haass ‘Historic Investigations Unit’?
November 2014 has witnessed some interesting statements. At a TJI conference the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, made it abundantly clear that the UK state cannot wash its hands of its Article 2 obligations by delegating them down to the devolved institutions and refusing to fund them. The Lord Chief Justice,…Continue reading Could the NI Assembly legislate for the Haass ‘Historic Investigations Unit’?
Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival Programme Launched!
Today saw the launch of the programme for the 2014 Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival (NIHRF). The festival, which will take place from 8-13 December, consists of a series of events on a range of human rights issues from home and abroad in celebration of International Human Rights Day on 10 December . All events…Continue reading Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival Programme Launched!
The background to CAJs legal challenge to the Anti-Poverty Strategy
17 October marks UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This post sets out the background to the decision in the high court last month to grant CAJ leave to judicially review the Northern Ireland Executive over its alleged failure to adopt an anti poverty strategy based on objective need. Following the 2006 St…Continue reading The background to CAJs legal challenge to the Anti-Poverty Strategy
Hong Kong: the spirit of freedom
As far as the eye can see, young pro-democracy protestors have taken to the streets of central Hong Kong to demand the right to elect freely the next chief executive of the territory. The students’ speeches, songs and placards celebrate the freedoms they want to enjoy. Beijing has announced restrictions for the 2017 election – which…Continue reading Hong Kong: the spirit of freedom