Northern Ireland Office

The Government has today published a consultation paper on its proposals for the powers of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

Commenting on the consultation, Political Development Minister, David Hanson MP, said: “The Government believes strongly in the importance of human rights and is committed to ensuring that the Commission has the right powers to enable it to carry out its duties effectively.

“The Government has assessed recommendations put forward by the Commission and is satisfied that it already broadly possesses the right powers to carry out its duties efficiently. However in two important areas, the right of access to places of detention and the power to compel evidence and witnesses, we agree that it is right to amend the Northern Ireland Act 1998 to make sure that the Commission can fulfil its existing functions properly.

“The consultation will run until 8 February 2006 and I invite views on all aspects of the paper, but particularly on how these two powers should be implemented and how we can make sure that the right safeguards are in place.”

Notes to Editors

The Northern Ireland Act 1998 provided for the creation of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The Act sets out the functions, remit and the powers of the Commission.  Section 69(2) of the Act required the Commission to make recommendations regarding its effectiveness to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland within the first two years of its existence.

The Secretary of State received the Commission’s 25 recommendations in March 2001. Subsequent to this in May 2002, the Northern Ireland Office issued a consultation paper, which outlined the Government’s initial response to the recommendations. In April 2004 the Commission submitted a supplementary report containing four additional recommendations.

In December 2004, the then Secretary of State, Paul Murphy, announced that the Government had decided in principle that the Commission should be granted the right of access to places of detention and the power to compel evidence and witnesses, subject to appropriate safeguards, in conducting its investigations. He also confirmed that a full statement of the Government’s conclusions on each of the Commission’s recommendations would be published.