Did you know…
…you have greater human rights protections in post-Agreement Northern Ireland than you do in the Irish Republic, even though the Irish Government was a signatory of the same Agreement. So says Colm O’Cinneide of UCD in this report for the northern Equality Commission and southern Equality Authority. If he’s right, then that puts the Irish Government in breach of the Agreement, doesn’t it? Expect more histrionics from Leaping Lord Laird, but how will the southern electorate regard proposals for ‘civic partnerships’?
In N.Ireland, as in the rest of the UK, our civil liberties are impinged by a national data bank of identity; the terrorism act; the ability of MI5 to tap MPs’ communications (forthcoming + not that they didn’t already do it), the use of the public order act to control free expression; new powers of arrest (Socpa); the right of the police to keep DNA samples taken from innocent victims; automatic number plate recognition systems; not to mention any number of covert surveillance activities…..
Suffice to say, we have very few human rights, beyond the right to exist; any comparison with the Republic is accordingly somewhat mendacious..
I see the Dail is back from its Christmas holidays today. Six and a half weeks.
And we’re waiting how long for Stormont, slug?
You don’t benchmark against Stormont do you
‘You don’t benchmark against Stormont do you
’
A free lesson – Always benchmark against something that’ll show you in a positive light!
Colm is of University College London and graduate of UCC and Edinburgh….