HC Deb 13 February 2002 vol 380 cc354-5W
15. Judy Mallaber

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent action the Government have taken to improve human rights in Northern Ireland. [33147]

Mr. Browne

The introduction of the Human Rights Act 1998 played a major role in safeguarding human rights throughout the UK as a whole, including Northern Ireland. The Human Rights Act puts human rights at the heart of policy making and operations for all public authorities and means that all public authorities, including courts and the police, must act compatibly with the convention rights. It gives further effect throughout the UK to the rights and freedoms set out in the ECHR and provides the basis for a new culture of rights and responsibilities.

The Northern Ireland Act 1998 restricts the Northern Ireland Assembly's powers to ensure it can only pass legislation that is compatible with convention rights and requires all NI Ministers and Departments to act compatibly. The Act also created the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission whose remit includes making sure laws and practices conform to the European convention, promoting awareness of human rights and offering advice and guidance to individuals. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is currently considering the scope for a Bill of Rights to reflect the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland.

The report of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland (the Patten report) recommended that there should be a comprehensive programme of action to focus policing in Northern Ireland on a human rights based approach.

The setting up in 2000 of the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland, an independent impartial police complaints system. This was set up under the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998.

The Independent International Decommissioning Commission exists to remove the tools of terrorism, which has been the biggest source of denial of basic human rights in Northern Ireland over the past 30 years.

The Criminal Justice Review Group recommended that human rights be made central to the justice system. In formulating their recommendations, the review group looked not only at the European convention on human rights, but also at 15 other international human rights standards and instruments. The entire review was drafted with these principles in mind.