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APRIL 2008
BIRW UPDATE
april 2008
bloody sunday inquiry report nowhere in sight
On 3rd April 2008 we wrote on the tenth anniversary of the formal opening of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry to enquire why it is taking so long to produce the Inquiry report and when the report will be published. The reply we have received does not give us any hope that the report will be published this year, nor does it give any definite date for publication. This inordinately long wait is also very stressful for the victims, some of whom have died in the interim without ever seeing the report, and all of whom have already endured long years of grief, injustice, and uncertainty.
christY walsh’s appeal is delayed again
Our Researcher Caroline Parkes observed the latest stage of Christy Walsh’s bid to clear his name in the High Court in Belfast on 23rd April. His appeal has already been the subject of some delay. Unfortunately for Christy Walsh, Counsel for the Crown indicated that they needed further time to prepare the case; as a result, the case was postponed until later in the year. He also has been waiting too long for justice.
BIRW TESTIFIES BEFORE THE NORTHERN IRELAND AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
On 2nd April our Director, Jane Winter, testified before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on the issues of the cost of dealing with the past and the use of informers in inquiries. Her testimony is available at:
www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/northern_ireland_affairs.cfm
ROSEMARY NELSON INQUIRY OPENS
The Rosemary Nelson Inquiry opened on 15th April at the Interpoint Centre in Belfast. CAJ and BIRW’s observers have been present throughout, and we have been closely monitoring the opening submissions by Rory Phillips QC, Counsel to the Inquiry. His speech has lasted for many days. We are delighted that observers from Human Rights Watch, the American NGO who worked on the threats and abuse suffered by Rosemary Nelson during her lifetime, have joined our observers in Belfast.
HUMAN RIGHTS, HUMAN WRONGS
This revised version of “Human Wrongs, Human Rights: A Guide to the Human Rights Machinery of the Human Rights Machinery of the United Nations”, co-authored by Jane Winter and Caroline Parkes, is the fourth edition of the guide. It is hoped that the publication will provide a useful resource to individuals of all ages and backgrounds, schools and community groups. Furthermore we hope that it will provide a contribution to the development of better awareness of human rights in Northern Ireland.
The production of the guide has been supported by funding from Awards for All, Lottery Grants for Local Groups, enabling BIRW to make the publication available free of charge in a CD format (also available in hard-copy). The publication will be available from June and can be obtained from BIRW direct by simply e-mailing birw@birw.org (please put “UN guide” in the subject line) or by writing to BIRW at 13b Hillgate Place, London SW12 9ES.
tasers raise their ugly heads again
BIRW has made a detailed submission to the Police Service of Northern Ireland in response to their consultation on the equality impact assessment of tasers, or stun guns as they are more commonly known. Once again we have voiced our opposition to these potentially deadly weapons, which inflict so much pain that the United Nations has dubbed them instruments of torture. They are particularly hazardous is used on children, pregnant women, people with surgical implants to help with balance or hearing problems, and those with heart conditions. In most cases, police officers cannot be expected to tell by looking at people whether they fall into these vulnerable groups. We have argued that the deployment of tasers constitutes a violation of Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), which protects the right to life, and Article 3, which prohibits torture, and that their use contravenes the Human Rights Act 2000. We also objected strongly to the fact that the PSNI chose to deploy tasers before completing an equality impact assessment.
PAUL McILWAINE RAISES CONTRACTS FOR PARAMILITARIES AT STORMONT
On 15th April Jane Winter accompanied Paul McIlwaine to a meeting in of the office of the Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Martin McGuiness MP MLA, and his opposite number, Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA at Stormont. Paul McIlwaine is the father of David McIlwaine, horribly murdered along with Andrew Robb in February 2000. Paul McIlwaine is concerned that some of those suspected of involvement in these cruel murders were in receipt of government contracts. The meting was constructive and instructive. We had not known before, for instance, that government contracts in the past openly included money to pay fro protection from paramilitaries.
birw strategic planning day
The full complement of BIRW’s staff and Board met on 30th April to hold a strategic planning day. This is the culmination of the evaluation process that started in 2007. A strategic plan for the next five years is currently being drawn up and details will follow in next month’s Update.
FAREWELL TO SHAUNA AND SAADI
This month BIRW say good-bye to Shauna Leven, our American intern and Saadi Omar who has been helping us with our administrative work. Shauna has been working on a project looking at paramilitaries and made an invaluable contribution to the project. We would also like to thank Saadi who has been helping our Administrator Elizabeth Folarin with the filing. He battled through a very dull task with a smile – his hard work is appreciated. We wish them both well in the future.
30th april 2008
For Peace Justice & Human Rights
