The Human Rights Commission and Law Society of Ireland will jointly host a conference on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) Act 2003 in Dublin on Saturday, 16th October.
The conference will review the impact of the ECHR Act which has been in operation since the beginning of this year. It will review its impact to date and potential impact in the future in the courts, in the obligations it imposes on ‘organs of the state’, in particular on local authorities and on how it might impact in the area of the rights of same-sex couples and co-habitees.
A distinguished panel of speakers from Ireland and abroad will address the day-long conference. Speakers include Prof. Robert Wintemute, leading scholar in the area of same-sex unions; Mrs Justice Susan Denham of the Supreme Court; Prof. William Binchy, Dr. Ursula Kilkelly, UCC; Donncha O’Connell and Dr. Padraic Kenna of NUI Galway. The conference will also have the benefit of the experience of speakers from the UK who have some 6 years experience of similar legislation, the UK Human Rights Act 1998. They will be Baroness Helena Kennedy of the House of Lords and barrister, Charlotte Kilroy.
Dr. Maurice Manning, President of the Human Rights Commission, who will open the conference, stated "The ECHR Act gives effect in Irish law to the rights provisions of the European Convention and Protocols to which Ireland is party. It is a very significant piece of legislation in the field of human rights and the conference will give us the opportunity to evaluate its use to date and look forward to its wider application".
For further information contact:
Mary Ruddy, Human Rights Commission
Tel. 01 8589 601
Please see conference programme on Commission website: http://www.ihrc.ie
Irish Human Rights Commission
4th Floor
Jervis House
Jervis Street
Dublin 1
01 8589601
info@ihrc.ie