Northern Ireland Office

Human Rights Minister, David Hanson MP today announced that a first meeting of the Bill of Rights Forum will take place on 18 December.

Establishment of the Forum, and the timeframe for it to convene its inaugural meeting was announced following discussions at St Andrews.

Publishing a response to a consultation paper on the Forum, David Hanson said: “I am very grateful to all those who contributed to the consultation and who have further added to the momentum to enable the inaugural meeting of the Bill of Rights Forum to take place in December 2006, in keeping with the arrangements announced in St Andrews.”

The Minister emphasised that the Forum’s work will inform the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in fulfilling its statutory duty to provide advice to the Secretary of State on the scope for defining, in Westminster legislation, rights supplementary to those in the European Convention on Human Rights reflecting the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland.

Notes to Editors

Copies of the consultation response paper, ‘A Forum on a Bill of Rights’ can be obtained  by telephoning 020 7210 6585.