Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the 8th Periodic Report submitted by the United Kingdom under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
CAJ submitted evidence to the United Nations Human Rights Committee regarding the 8th Periodic Report put forward by the United Kingdom under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Our submission focuses on the constitutional and legal framework within which the ICCPR is implemented in Northern Ireland, recommending that legislation for a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland is introduced without the pre-condition of all party consensus. We suggest that the Committee urges the UK government to reconsider changing domestic laws that limit court access and remedies for rights protected in the European Convention of Human Rights, as this goes against the Good Friday Agreement. Our submission also notes the importance of advancing the legislation for the Independent Review of Hate Crime Legislation in Northern Ireland.
Furthermore, we outline the need for accountability regarding violations related to the conflict in Northern Ireland in our submission. We specifically address the implications of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation Act) 2023. Our submission draws attention to expressions of concern from various stakeholders, highlighting the Act’s incompatibility with international human rights law. CAJ suggests that the Committee ask the UK to repeal the Act and return to the existing peace-process agreement (the 2014 Stormont House Agreement).
To view the full submission, click here.