The Chief Commissioners of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC), the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) are meeting with EU officials, and elected representatives, in Brussels today at an event supported by the Northern Ireland Executive Office. The Commissions will share experiences of their…
“Representatives of the Joint Committee consisting of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission met today at the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. The Joint Committee considered a number of issues, including the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 which became law last month. The…
€400,000 awarded to projects to advance Access to Justice and Rights and to promote the Eradication of Ableism, Ageism, Racism, Sexism, Homophobia and Transphobia The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has today announced the 30 organisations to be awarded a total of €400,000 in funding for projects under its Human Rights and Equality Grants…
Commission cites five crucial areas requiring amendments In July of this year, the Department of Justice published the Criminal Justice (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023. This proposed Bill marks an important and significant step in ensuring a victim-centred National Referral Mechanism (‘NRM’) in law. The second stage of this Bill will be debated today…
IHREC publish Submission on Planning and Development Bill 2022 The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘the Commission’), reiterates that the State continues to fail in its provision of culturally appropriate accommodation to the Traveller community and welcomes the opportunity to submit observations on the Planning and Development Bill 2022. In recent times, we have…
Commission publishes independent assessment to assist UN Committee in reviewing the State’s performance on gender equality The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (“the Commission”) has today raised concerns about discrimination against women in the Irish healthcare system. In its report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (‘the Committee), published today, the…
“The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (“the Commission”) has provided legal assistance to a person involved in a complaint under the Equal Status Acts regarding the provision of a service by a public body. The person alleged that the criteria and the application process for the service was discriminatory on the grounds of disability….
Commission meets Council of Europe Committee to discuss State protection of National Minorities The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘the Commission’) will today meet with the expert Advisory Committee of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM), to discuss Ireland’s progress in promoting and protecting minority rights. Under the FCNM, Ireland…
Commission calls for equal treatment and an end to punishment of victims The second National Anti-Trafficking Report of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘the Commission’) as Ireland’s National Rapporteur on Human Trafficking was published today at an event which saw Europe’s leading anti-trafficking figures from the Council of Europe, European Parliament, OSCE and…
Commission Exercised Amicus Curiae Role in Supreme Court Case The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (the “Commission”) welcomes an important Supreme Court judgment in a criminal case on whether the reversal of the burden of proof onto an accused person is permissible on the “balance of probabilities” having regard to the constitutional guarantee of a right…