The Human Rights Forum tends to provoke significant reactions from many. The Newsletter is reporting a leak of the draft document outlining current ideas for the Bill of Rights.
According to the Newsletter the following may be being proposed:
-Raising the age of criminal responsibility to 18 – meaning that rapists, murderers and other criminals under that age could not be prosecuted;
-Defining victims as those who have survived “violent, conflict-related incidents” with no distinction between those responsible for atrocities and innocent victims.
The document also states “Everyone shall enjoy appropriate healthcare and social care services, including reproductive healthcare.”
Lord Laird has attacked the whole thing and has suggested that the Secretary of State may veto parts of the proposals.
A spokesman for the HRF stressed that the document was still a draft and said the contentious issues of abortion, victims and the age of criminal responsibility had yet to be agreed upon by the group.
“The public are very welcome to observe our plenary session at the Wellington Park Hotel today from 9am to 6pm,” he said.
Whilst I have tried in the past to avoid the knee jerk opposition to the Bill of Rights; these proposals, which I accept, are only leaks of a draft are pretty ludicrous. A number of the proposals run very clearly contrary to what seems to be the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland and this body seems to potentially have power and authority without any mandate or democratic accountability.
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