The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, reconstituted in July last year, has released a new weapon in the long-running battle over a Bill of Rights for NI – “Is that Right?” [pdf file]. Chief Commissioner Professor Michael O’Flaherty claims that the document “addresses the misunderstandings and misinformation concerning what a bill of rights would mean if one were to be introduced.”
Is it a genuine attempt at engaging with those who are sceptical?
Well, it’s not funded by Atlantic Philanthropies, which is a start… But the associated press release notes
The NIHRC delivered its advice on a Bill of Rights to the UK Government in 2008. Since then very little progress has been made. This is matter of regret for the Commission, which continues to consider that the advice it delivered constitutes a strong basis on which to proceed.
That would be the ‘advice’ noted here – one of the previous Commission’s self-declared “greatest achievements”.
It’s as if they haven’t been listening… at all…
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