Promoting Justice /
Protecting Rights

Submissions

CAJ regularly responds to government public consultations.  A full list of our consultations submissions is available below.

Accountable Policing and Justice

Equality

Combating Impunity

Freedom of Expression

Protecting Human Rights and the Peace Settlement

International

20/11/2020

Evidence to Ad Hoc Committee on a Bill of Rights from CAJ

CAJ has given evidence to the Ad Hoc Committee on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland on the challenges facing Northern Ireland and the case for a Bill of Rights. Our evidence explains how a rights-based approach in general, and a Bill of Rights in particular, could assist in meeting the existential challenges facing...
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18/11/2020

Stormont’s vetoes in the context of a pandemic – An Equality Coalition briefing note

In 2019, the Equality Coalition’s Manifesto for a Rights Based Return to Power Sharing called for a new agreement to remove those political vetoes within the NI Executive that are not based on (and have conflicted with) equality and rights duties, and as such contributed to the destabilisation and collapse of the NI Executive in...
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12/11/2020

Joint ICCL CAJ briefing note on Clause 109 of the Withdrawal of the UK from the EU (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020

CAJ produced this joint briefing note with ICCL to highlight issues that may arise from changing the definition of a ‘non-national’ under Ireland’s 2004 Immigration Act, which is the statutory basis for passport control into the Irish state. The briefing raises a number of concerns related to this change and how it may impact movement...
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27/10/2020

CAJ response to the Independent Review of Administrative Law (IRAL)

CAJ has responded to the UK’s government’s Independent Review of Administrative Law (IRAL). This was set up following a commitment in the Conservative Party 2019 Manifesto “to consider options for reform to the process of Judicial Review”. In our submission, we assert that it is not necessary or appropriate to seek to restrict judicial review,...
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23/10/2020

Written Evidence to the NI Assembly Ad Hoc Committee on the Bill of Rights from the Equality Coalition Co-Conveners

A Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland was first promised in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, but progress towards its development has repeatedly stalled. The establishment of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Bill of Rights at Stormont earlier this year represents a fresh attempt to move things forward. On 22 October 2020, CAJ and...
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14/10/2020

Written evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights on the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill

The Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill was introduced to the UK Parliament on 24 September 2020, and is scheduled to complete passage through the House of Commons by 15 October 2020. The Bill will amend existing legislation to create a new process of ‘Criminal Conduct Authorisations’, which will allow MI5, police forces, and a range...
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01/10/2020

Briefing for Second Reading of the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill

The Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill was introduced on 24 September 2020, with its Second Reading scheduled for 5 October 2020. The Bill will amend existing legislation to create a new process of ‘Criminal Conduct Authorisations’, which will allow MI5, police forces, and a range of other public authorities to authorise their agents...
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22/09/2020

Written Evidence from the Model Bill Team to the Human Rights (Joint Committee) on the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill

This submission was prepared by the ‘Model Bill Team’, which is comprised of experts from CAJ and Queen’s University Belfast. The team has produced a range of technical briefings and reports designed to help inform public debates on dealing with the past in Northern Ireland. Their new submission highlights how the draft Overseas Operations (Service...
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08/09/2020

Equality Proofing the Return to School – Briefing paper from the Equality Coalition

The Covid-19 pandemic has had far reaching impacts on all aspects of NI society, not least education, with most pupils being withdrawn from school for five months due to the strict lockdown period and the subsequent summer break. As staff and students begin the new school term, we must ensure that their return to school...
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14/08/2020

EU-UK future relationship cliff edge: Outstanding issues around access to EU and human rights in the Northern Ireland context

There are a number of imminent rights protections gaps that will result from Brexit. Some of these areas were to be addressed in the context of the EU-UK future relationship negotiations yet seem to have fallen off the agenda as the end of the transition period approaches. The pandemic, alongside a perception such matters have...
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13/08/2020

Electronic Travel Authorisation and the Common Travel Area

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...
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18/06/2020

CAJ and Amnesty International UK briefing note on amendments to the Health Protection Regulations and their application to the Black Lives Matter protests

CAJ and Amnesty International UK have jointly produced a briefing note in response to amendments to the NI Coronavirus regulations, which extended broad and vaguely drafted enforcement powers to outdoor gatherings. Of particular concern was the application of the regulations to the Black Lives Matter protests that took place in Belfast and Derry on Saturday...
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12/06/2020

Passenger quarantine and the Common Travel Area (CTA): The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020

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...
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19/05/2020

Covid-19, passenger quarantine, and the Common Travel Area (CTA): A CAJ briefing note

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...
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07/05/2020

Submission to UN Committee Against Torture: Follow up on the UK’s sixth periodic report

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....
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