Human Rights – Page 45 – Slugger O'Toole

Petition: women condemned to death in Sudan without defence lawyers…

Mick Fealty on April 2, 2007, 4:34 pm

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I’m not a great fan of petitions. They often give rise to unrealistic expectations of what Brian Appleyard describes as hyper democracy. But if this one (currently has just 914 names) helps to highlight the plight of two ethnic African women, Amouna Abdallah Daldoum and Sadia Idries Fadul, condemned to be stoned to death after a trial conducted in Arabic (an language neither of them speaks) and without defence lawyers, it may be worth taking your time to read and …

leaping from the 19th to the 21st century and bypassing the 20th altogether..

Pete Baker on March 27, 2007, 3:04 pm

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Today’s Guardian editorial is worth reading, in particular the final paragraph..That final paragraph Yesterday it almost felt as if Northern Ireland politics was suddenly leaping from the 19th to the 21st century and bypassing the 20th altogether. Long experience – and the personalities involved – nevertheless counsels caution. Yesterday, not May 8, was supposed to be the date when Northern Ireland’s two big parties began to work together in a devolved government. No agreement by March 26, no devolution, said …

“nothing good can be built on such poisonous foundations”

Pete Baker on March 12, 2007, 5:56 pm

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As previously noted, Paul Bew mentioned that “[the British government] believe that the power-sharing structures of the Good Friday Agreement are so strong that [Sinn Féin and the DUP] will have no alternative but to compromise”.. but not everyone agrees. The Guardian’s Peter Preston draws in some points which indicate the insidious nature of the foundations being built upon – the recent Ombudsman’s report and the next announced investigation, although he does miss a few others – in a bleak …

Human Rights and the parties…

Mick Fealty on March 7, 2007, 9:26 pm

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Patrick at Amnesty International has looked at the manifestos from a Human Rights angle. Worth cutting out to keep for future reference… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

Hain revokes Kenneway’s early release

Pete Baker on February 22, 2007, 9:23 pm

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It’s not entirely clear how this all ties together, or indeed if it completely does, but the Secretary of State for Wales etc has been exercising his prerogative again by revoking the early release licence of John Kenneway – one of three people convicted of the December 1997 murder in Maze prison of Billy Wright – stating that he believes Kenneway to be “a danger to the public”. According to the Belfast Telegraph report, Kenneway was arrested two weeks ago …

HRC hamstrung by restrictions on MI5 investigations

Mick Fealty on February 13, 2007, 2:51 pm

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As we flagged up here on Slugger a few weeks ago, the Human Rights Commission was not happy being restricted from looking into any human rights abuses from the past. Now the Westminster Joint Committee on Human Rights has added its voice, saying that the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill would be a “severe blow” to the work of the organisation by preven. This is the same Bill that downshifts the importance but retains the non jury Diplock Courts. …

“Closure on the past cannot be one-sided.”

Pete Baker on February 12, 2007, 3:27 am

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Earlier today Rusty linked to Henry McDonald’s report on the suspected side-deal on on-the-runs – prosecutions to be deemed as ‘not in the public interest’.. but the flip-side, noted there, and highlighted again by this report on the DUP’s reaction, would be that “a similar no prosecution call for members of the security forces accused of collusion with loyalist paramilitaries would be made.” That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, although the lack of a publicly stated position by …

“There were no party votes, no extraordinary Ard-Fheiseanna, no back-slapping and hugging..”

Pete Baker on February 4, 2007, 11:15 pm

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If the Sinn Féin Justice Spokesman’s absolute rejection of calls to put the past behind us is anything other than an example of the hypocrisy identified by Davy Adams – although, given the British Government’s apparent confirmation of an intent to seal off the past, that would seem to be the case – they can expect to hear more from those who left under threat of death and who are, in some cases, probably still at risk. And, while we’re …

Really?!!

Pete Baker on February 3, 2007, 9:05 pm

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According to a statement released today by the Sinn Féin Justice spokesman Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD “There are some, such as Hugh Orde who think we should draw a line in the sand and put the past behind us. We absolutely reject that.” Pete Baker

“They have decided we should only deal with the future.”

Pete Baker on February 3, 2007, 2:09 am

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This is definitely one to watch carefully as it develops, the Chief Northern Ireland Human Rights Commissioner Monica McWilliams is furious. And rightly so. According to the PA report, the NIO has confirmed that the previously announced legislation to enable the HRC to investigate allegations of abuses of human rights here, which grants the Commission new powers to compel evidence and witnesses, will set August 1 2007 as the date at which an allegation can be investigated using those powers. …

“This will not be a quick fix”

Pete Baker on February 2, 2007, 5:10 pm

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It’s at a very early stage, but this is probably worth keeping an eye on in the months ahead. The NIO Security Minister Paul Goggins has announced the terms of reference for a strategic review of parading. According to Paul Goggins “I want the Review Body to consider whether there are new or additional approaches which can be applied to parading and offer recommendations that have the potential to lead to a settled cross community view of this sensitive issue.” …

“There can be no exemptions..

Pete Baker on January 29, 2007, 11:03 pm

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..for faith based adoption agencies from the new sexual orientation regulations.” As the BBC report, Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly, have announced that there will be no exemptions for faith-based adotion agencies, exemptions which the Churches had been demanding. But there is an element of compromise, as had been suggested.. those faith-based adoption agencies will be given until the end of 2008 to acclimatise themselves to the new reality, described as an “unnecessarily long” time by …

When’s a war, not a war…

Mick Fealty on January 26, 2007, 10:52 pm

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Eric Waugh answers his own rhetorical question: “Probably when it’s with the IRA. In a real war, practically anything goes, Geneva Conventions or not. Remember Rwanda or Vietnam; or Oradour-sur- Glane; or Lidice; or Malmedy. But the IRA? Its members went to war only on condition that their human rights would not be infringed, although it might deny those rights to others. In a real war, though, there are no human rights. But it is the IRA kind of war …

“If the judge had adopted what we consider to be the proper approach..”

Pete Baker on January 26, 2007, 5:43 pm

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Following the decision of Mr Justice McLaughlin to throw out the charges against William Courtney, who was accused of the murder of Alan McCullough in a UDA feud, the Crown – via the DPP – appealed the decision. Today the Appeal Court ruled that Courtney must stand trial on the charge of murder in “the interests of justice”. The ruling, delivered by Lord Chief Justice Sir Brian Kerr along with Lord Justice Campbell and Mr Justice Coghlin, also reveales that …

While the focus is elsewhere..

Pete Baker on January 26, 2007, 2:33 am

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With Prime Minister Tony Blair attempting to quiet the storm around the churches’ objections to the Equality Act, by both supporting the Act as is and promising to announce “a way through this sensitive and difficult decision” next week, in Scotland – where an exemption was seemingly granted to religious adoption agencies – the Catholic Church wants the Scottish Parliament to confirm those previously given commitments. In all of this BBC’s Nick Robinson thinks there will be no blanket exemption …

The McDougall Report?

Pete Baker on January 25, 2007, 5:45 pm

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Despite the reference in the BBC report, that the High Court ruling meant that Bertha McDougall was permitted to publish her report in a personal capacity, Chris Thornton in the Belfast Telegraph points out that the actual report carries the Interim Victim Commissioner title on the front page[pdf file], and Mrs Dougall signs the report as “Interim Commissioner for Victims and Survivors”. Apparently this is because “the report was printed before Lord Justice Girvan’s judgment was delivered ten days ago.” …

Three weeks to leave NI.. by court order..

Pete Baker on January 25, 2007, 12:29 am

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Police have successfully applied for a change in the bail conditions of two men charged with helping to organise a meeting in support of the UDA/UFF. The two, Garry Mackenzie, 35, and Alan John McClean, 19, were among 17 men arrested when police raided the Alexandra Bar in last March and had been staying at an approved address. Ihab Shoukri was also arrested during that raid, but the bail he was on at that time wasn’t revoked and those charges …

Churches versus State

Pete Baker on January 24, 2007, 6:49 pm

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The Church of England’s Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, have echoed the opposition of the Catholic Church to the provisions of the Equality Act in a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair – full letter here – They have argued that “rights of conscience cannot be made subject to legislation, however well-meaning” and, as I suggested in the comments here, have pointed to arrangements for exceptions allowed on that basis for medical staff …

Catholic Church in opposition to Equality Act

Pete Baker on January 23, 2007, 6:48 pm

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When the transitional assembly sought to defer the introduction of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, there was a concerted attempt to frame the debate within a particular, localised, context. In the end the vote was tied, and the motion fell, through the application of a controversial and recently introduced measure whereby a deceased MLA’s vote was cast against it. In England and Wales though, that localised context doesn’t apply, and it’s the Catholic Church which is …

Police Ombudsman’s statement on Operation Ballast

Pete Baker on January 22, 2007, 5:05 pm

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The Police Ombudsman has issued a statement on the findings[pdf file] of the three-and-a-half-year investigation into a series of complaints about police conduct in relation to the murder of Raymond McCord Junior in November 1997 and other matters. There’s also a summary here Adds The BBC’s Vincent Kearney reports And Peter Hain’s statement Mrs O’Loan has concluded that her investigation has established collusion between certain officers within Special Branch and a UVF unit in North Belfast and Newtownabbey. From the …