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JUNE 2008
BIRW UPDATE
june 2008
THE DUP ENDORSE RETURN TO INTERNMENT WITHOUT TRIAL
How shameful that it should have been the nine DUP MPs from Northern Ireland who swung the vote in the House of Commons to include 42-day detention for terrorist suspects. In our view, such a measure would amount to internment without trial, which led to disaster in Northern Ireland, with the imprisonment of innocent people and new recruits for the IRA. It is to be hoped that the House of Lords will stand firm against this retrograde step, which has no basis in international human rights law or standards.
On the other hand, the SDLP’s Mark Durkan’s cogent defence of civil liberties should that some, at least, can learn the (mainly negative) lessons form Northern Ireland for combating terrorism. In particular, we welcome his comments on the proposal to allow contentious inquests to be taken over by the Secretary of State – yet another recipe for a cover-up, it would seem.
Rosemary Nelson inquiry
On 3rd and 4th June our Director, Jane Winter, gave evidence before the Rosemary Nelson Inquiry. Unfortunately, the Inquiry refused her request for legal representation. At the end of her evidence, Jane Winter made the following statement:
“I would like, if I may, to read a very short statement which I have prepared, as the Inquiry will be aware, without the benefit of legal advice or representation. I, like many other witnesses who have appeared and will appear before this Inquiry, have an advantage that, of necessity, the Inquiry does not enjoy. I knew Rosemary Nelson. She was a warm, generous, fun-loving and – above all – intelligent woman. She was also a woman of great personal courage. She loved justice and she hated injustice. She was, quite simply – and this was no mean feat for someone who lived in such a troubled place and in such troubled times – a person who knew the difference between right and wrong. Those who imagine that Rosemary was engaged in a campaign to discredit the RUC, and that she manipulated people of good faith like myself and many others of greater standing than me into supporting her alleged crusade are deluding themselves and can not have known Rosemary Nelson. The sad truth is that the boot was on the other foot. Rosemary Nelson was the victim of a callous campaign of denigration which culminated in her brutal and vicious murder. I hope that this inquiry will not get bogged down in the minutiae of who said what to whom, or who wrote what to whom, but will keep the shocking facts of Rosemary Nelson’s life and death at the forefront of your deliberations.”
In a separate development, BIRW and CAJ have written to the Inquiry raising a number of procedural issues.
COUNSEL TO THE BILLY WRIGHT INQUIRY leaveS
It came as a bolt from the blue when the Billy Wright Inquiry announced earlier this month that Counsel to the Inquiry, Derek Batchelor QC, had resigned. It came as an even greater surprise when Derek Batchelor issued a statement saying that he had not resigned but been dismissed and that his offer to carry on in the job had been refused. Given the enormous amount of preparation undertaken by Mr Batchelor, his loss to the Inquiry will be grave and will inevitably mean a long adjournment while a replacement is found and becomes acquainted with all the material. Our hearts go our to Bill Wright’s father, David, who does not have time on his side.
BIRW RESPONDS TO THE DRAFT BILL OF RIGHTS
BIRW has sent the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission a very detailed response to the Final Report by the Bill of Rights Forum, which includes their recommendations on a draft Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. We have urged the NIHRC, which is charged with delivering its own advice on the Bill of Rights to the Secretary of State by 10th December 2008, to consult widely before doing so.
joint letter on tasers
BIRW has joined with a group of NGOs in Northern Ireland in writing to the Northern Ireland Policing Board about the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s decision to deploy tasers (electronic stun guns), which we consider to be potentially lethal instruments of torture, before completing an equality impact assessment on their effects.
Policing and Protest
BIRW made a submission to the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ inquiry into the human rights issues arising from policing and protest. The submission focussed on the issues around parades in Northern Ireland and the balancing of rights which occurred in that context.
HUMAN RIGHTS, HUMAN WRONGS
This fourth edition 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, 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.
FINUCANE CONFERENCE: SAVE THE DATE
BIRW has been asked by the family of murdered Belfast lawyer Patrick Finucane to organise a conference entitled “Patrick Finucane: His Life and his Legacy” to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of his death. The conference will take place on Saturday 14th February 2009 at Trinity College Dublin, so put the date in your diary now. Other events are being planned around the same weekend. Watch this space for further details.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Our Director Jane Winter was invited to comment on a Council of Europe forum concerning press freedoms. Specifically the forum is designed to address a variety of issues including the balance between free expression and respect for beliefs and the value in protecting anonymous sources. BIRW’s thoughts on these issues are now available on this forum at: http://mediafreedom.cws.coe.int/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?comments_parentId=74&topics_sort_mode=title_asc&forumId=6
VICTIMS AND DEALING WITH THE PAST
Caroline Parkes, our Researcher, attended the launch of a DVD by the South Armagh based victims groups, Families Acting for Innocent Relatives. The moving film explored the experiences of those who were injured or bereaved by the conflict. Caroline Parkes also attended a conference by Healing through Remembering, entitled "Whatever you say.....say something". This excellent event used small drama pieces to spark conversation and debate over how Northern Ireland should deal with the past.
hail and farEwell
This month we said goodbye and the best of luck to our Chair Sarah Cooke OBE, who has retired from our Board after eight year’s sterling service. Helen Shaw is our new Chair. We also welcomed three new members of the Board: Geraldine Scullion, Roseanne Sweeney and Sonia Sceats. We welcomed a new intern this month, Verena Elders joined us from Holland and will be with us until August. We said our farewells to our interns James Spybey and Jo Easton, with thanks for all their hard work.
30th june 2008
For Peace Justice & Human Rights
