From the recent immigration white paper (published December 2018), it is clear that the UK government intends to move towards an online immigration system, with applications, visa documents, and status checking taking place digitally. At the UK border, the use of e-gates and an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme is proposed. What the immigration white...
A 14 day self-isolation period for incoming passengers to the UK and Ireland has been under discussion for some time to prevent imported cases of Covid-19. CAJ has published a previous briefing paper exploring the complex issues related to operating such a system within the Common Travel Area (the open border zone consisting of the...
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...
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...
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...
The Committee of Ministers is the decision-making body of Europe’s leading human rights organisation, the Council of Europe. At the start of March 2020, the 1369th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies was held to look at the execution of judgments made by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in a series of cases in...
After three years in the political wilderness, Northern Ireland once again has a functioning devolved government sitting at Stormont. A new cross-party deal, published in January 2020, paved the way for the restoration of the NI Assembly and Executive. The New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) agreement was announced by the Irish and British governments on...
On the 23 September 2019, the Council of Europe (CoE) Committee of Ministers, which oversees the implementation of the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), will meet in Strasbourg to consider whether there has been progress in implementing the requirements of a number of court judgments. It is expected that this will...
