http://www.nio.gov.uk/press/1999/mar/990301c-nio.htm
1 March 1999
NORTHERN IRELAND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED
Secretary of State Marjorie Mowlam today announced the membership of the
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.
The Commission meets for the first time today when it will be formally
established under the provisions of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Dr Mowlam said: "The Commission will play a key role in ensuring that the
development and protection of human rights remains at the heart of the new
system of government in Northern Ireland."
The Chief Commissioner is Professor Brice Dickson - whose appointment was
announced on January 18 - and there are nine part-time Commissioners who are:
Christine Bell
Director, Centre for International and Comparative Human Rights Law, QUB;
Margaret-Ann Dinsmore
Barrister;
Tom Donnelly
Northern Ireland Area Business Manager, Proton Cars (UK) Ltd;
Rev Harold Good
Methodist Minister;
Professor Tom Hadden
Professor of Law, QUB;
Angela Hegarty
Lecturer in Law, University of Ulster;
Patricia Kelly
Director, Children's Law Centre
Inez McCormack
Regional Secretary, UNISON
Francis McGuinness
Regional Manager, Trocaire Northern Ireland.
Dr Mowlam added: "The establishment of the new Human Rights Commission is the
central feature of the additional protections for human rights in Northern
Ireland set out in the Belfast Agreement.
"It will also be a powerful force in developing, through education and
research, an active human rights culture in Northern Ireland. One of its
early functions will be to advise on a possible Bill of Rights for Northern
Ireland.
"I believe that the establishment of the Commission amounts to a transformation
in the arrangements for the protection of human rights in Northern Ireland and
I look forward to working with Brice Dickson and his colleagues in the future."
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC will be established under
the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (sections 68-72 and Schedule 7). It
will -
keep under review the adequacy and effectiveness in Northern Ireland of law and
practice relating to the protection of human rights
advise the Government and the Executive Committee of the Assembly of measures
which ought to be taken for the protection of human rights
see all proposed Assembly Bills, and will be able to offer an opinion on
whether they are compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights
assist people whose rights have been denied or abused by helping them to
take a case to the courts and in appropriate cases, be able to bring
proceedings itself. (The provision giving the Commission these two functions
will come into force on 1 June.)
be able to carry out investigations
develop, through education and research, an active human rights culture in
Northern Ireland
consult and advise on the drawing up of a Bill of Rights to suit Northern
Ireland's particular needs.
do all it can to ensure that the North-South Human Rights Committee envisaged
by the Agreement is set up.
The members of the Commission
Chief Commissioner
Professor Brice Dickson:
Professor of Law and head of legal studies at the University of Ulster.
Lecturer and senior lecturer in Law at Queen's University between 1979
and 1991. He has a first class BA in Jurisprudence (1974) and a second
class BCL (1975) from Oxford. He was called to the Northern Ireland Bar
in 1976. He also has an MPhil from the University of Ulster (1998).
Professor Dickson was a member and Deputy Chair of the EOC 1990-96. He
was the Winston Churchill Fellow on Bills of Rights in Southern Africa in
1994 and acted as a consultant to the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation.
He has been a long-standing member of the Committee for the Administration
of Justice (CAJ), Amnesty international, and Liberty.
Commissioners
Christine Bell:
Director, Centre for international and Comparative Human Rights Law, Queen's
University, Belfast since 1997. Lecturer in Jurisprudence since 1992.
Qualified Barrister 1990. Practised in New York 1990-1992. Member, European
Commission Committee of Experts on Fundamental Rights.
Margaret-Ann Dinsmore QC:
Barrister since 1980. Queen's Counsel since 1996. member of SACHR since 1998.
Northern Ireland Commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union members since
1993. Northern Ireland Commissioner for Protection against Unlawful industrial
Action since 1995. Member of the independent Commission for Police Complaints
1994-1997. Member of Board of Visitors, HM Prison, Belfast 1993-1994.
Tom Donnelly MBE JP DL:
Northern Ireland Area Business Manager for Proton Cars (UK) Limited since
1998. Justice of the Peace since 1985. Patron, Belfast Charitable Trust for
integrated Education. Member of Corrymeela Centre for Reconciliation. Belfast
City Councillor (SDLP) 1973-76.
Rev Harold Good
Superintendent Minister, Belfast South Circuit, Methodist Church in Ireland.
Chairman of NIACRO since 1992. Voluntary Sector Member, New Deal Task Force
since 1997. Northern Ireland Member, Social Security Advisory Committee
1980-1998. Chairman, DHSS Central Personal Social Services Advisory Committee,
1986-1994.
Professor Tom Hadden
Part-time Professor of Law, Queen's University Belfast since 1985. Author and
journalist. Member of SACHR 1985-1990. Member of British Council and Council of
Europe overseas missions on human rights.
Angela Hegarty
Lecturer in Law, Magee College, University of Ulster, since 1992. Commissioner,
Equal Opportunities Commission (NI) 1987-1992. Member of SACHR since 1998.
Chairperson, Committee on the Administration of Justice 1993-1995.
Vice-Chairman SDLP 1989-1991. Candidate Women's Coalition, Forum Elections
1996.
Patricia Kelly
Director, Children's Law Centre, since 1997. Advocacy and Communications
Manager, Save the Children Fund 1994-97. Area Campaigns Manager, Oxfam in
Ireland 1989-94. Qualified barrister. Election observer for UN and EU.
Inez McCormack
Regional Secretary Public Sector Trade Union UNISON NI since 1993.
vice-president ICTU since 1997. Divisional Organiser NUPE 1980-93.
Founder member of EOC 1976-86 and FEA 1976-81. Wide range of voluntary
appointments. Activist and writer on equality and human rights.
Francis McGuinness
Regional Manager, Trocaire Northern Ireland, since 1995. Education officer,
Trocaire 1989-995. Teacher of English/Head of Pastoral Care, St Aidan's High
School, Glenavy 1976-1989. Chairman, St Teresa's Community Project 1987 -1998.
http://www.nio.gov.uk/press/1999/mar/990301a-dhss.htm
Mr Don Hill, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services,
today welcomed the establishment of the North Belfast Advice Services
Consortium, which was launched at an event in Belfast Castle.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Hill said: "It is vitally important for everyone,
especially the more vulnerable people in our society, to have access to good
independent advice services. I would like to pay formal tribute to the
voluntary and community sector here for their outstanding contribution in
developing and delivering high quality services in often difficult times."
The North Belfast Advice Services Consortium comprises eight community groups
involved in formal advice provision in North Belfast. Mr Hill commended the
spirit of co-operation and partnership which led to the setting up of the
Consortium. He said: "Collaboration is the cornerstone of the Government's
strategy for supporting advice services - collaboration between Central and
Local Government, between Government and advice agencies, and among advice
agencies themselves."
Mr Hill also congratulated North Belfast Community Development Centre, one of
the members of the Consortium, currently celebrating its 25th Anniversary year.
Referring to Vivienne Anderson, the Director of the Centre, he said: "Your
personal contribution, together with the dedication and hard work of the staff
and the Management Committee, has helped enormously to maintain the fabric of
community life during many years in which North Belfast has suffered
disproportionately from the effects of the Troubles."
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. North Belfast Community Development Centre is the main community based
organisation which actively encourages and supports community development
across all areas of North Belfast. It provides a wide range of programmes
including community resource and support, social inclusion, welfare rights
advice and advocacy, community relations and community leadership.
2. As part of the Centre's strategy of promoting community based advice
provision, it has established an Advice Services Consortium comprised of
groups involved in formal advice provision. There are currently eight members:
North Belfast CDC
Lower North Belfast Community Council
Ballysillan Community Forum
Benview Community Centre
Ligoniel Improvement Association
Bone and Ballybone Community Association
Vine Community and Advice Centre
Concorde Community Centre and Ardoyne Association.
3. Through working in partnership, the Consortium seeks to maximise the
capacity of its members leading to improved effectiveness and efficiency.
Specifically, the Consortium seeks to:
Develop an advice services strategy for North Belfast.
Promote and support the development of community based advice and advocacy
services.
Develop the advice services infrastructure through accessing relevant training.
Identify public policy and practice issues.
Increase community awareness of legal rights and entitlements.
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