In May 2020, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the British and Irish governments announced measures requiring incoming travellers to ‘self-isolate’ upon arrival. These measures are part of government plans to ease lockdown and are intended to manage the risk of transmissions being reintroduced from abroad as international travel restrictions are eased. We have drafted...

The changes to the Immigration Rules today follow the commitments made by the British Government in the New Decade, New Approach agreement of 9 January 2020 and the earlier review promised by Theresa May into Irish citizens in NI being joined by their family members. These changes are driven by the legal challenge by Emma...

Last year, the UK submitted its sixth periodic report on its compliance with the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. All states signed up this convention – including the UK – have a duty to prevent and investigate torture, support victims of torture, and ensure perpetrators are punished....

Tacking incitement to hatred, in accordance with international human rights standards, is an area of priority focus for CAJ. Partially in response to lobbying from CAJ, an independent review of Northern Ireland’s hate crime legislation was agreed by former Justice Minister Claire Sugden in 2017, before officially launching in 2019 with Judge Desmond Marrinan at...

The Committee of Ministers is the decision-making body of Europe’s leading human rights organisation, the Council of Europe. In June 2020, the 1377th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies will examine the execution of judgments made by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in a series of cases in which states have been found to...

CAJ joins with other members of the Equality Coalition to call for political action to prevent the Covid-19 crisis from worsening inequalities in Northern Ireland. The Equality Coalition is a broad alliance of 90 civil society organisations and trade unions in Northern Ireland that collectively campaign to promote equality. The Coalition is jointly convened by...

There are clear deficiencies in the UK government’s most recent proposals for dealing with the legacy of Northern Ireland’s past, according to a new report published today. Prosecutions, Imprisonment and the Stormont House Agreement: A Critical Analysis of Proposals on Dealing with the Past in Northern Ireland reviews all of the proposals put forward on...

In recent years, there have been eleven distinct proposals on dealing with the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland. Most recently, a new approach to legacy was put forward by the UK government in a statement delivered by the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) in March 2020. Prosecutions, Imprisonment and the Stormont House Agreement: A...

Northern Ireland faces a real and pressing public health emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the UK and Irish governments have introduced emergency legislation in response to this crisis. Emergency legislation in times of crisis can be necessary and actively support positive action to protect human rights. The general principle is that emergency measures...

Inside this issue: We lead with a detailed analysis of the New Decade, New Approach agreement, while other articles look at the latest developments in Northern Ireland in relation to equal marriage and the decriminalisation of abortion. CAJ’s Director, Brian Gormally, examines the role human rights can play in conflict resolution and Dr Robbie McVeigh...