Human Rights – Page 47 – Slugger O'Toole

On private discussions made public and a NI Bill of Rights

Pete Baker on July 20, 2006, 3:16 pm

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No need, it seems, for the public to wait on another leaked exclusive through the BBC, as Noel McAdam in the Belfast Telegraph points us to the publication of the official Hansard reports of Hain’s Committee which has decided, belatedly, that the public should be able to read[3rd July] what is being discussed [The BBC’s Mark Devenport will be pleased to get a mention(see 4.00pm) – Ed]. During an earlier discussion on whether or not to publish, on 28th June, …

The IRA, Human Rights and the McConville case

Mick Fealty on July 10, 2006, 2:07 pm

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The IRA is taking serious heat over the abduction and killing of Jean McConville 34 years ago. This controversy has been bubbling under for some time. Back in January 2005, whilst Mitchel McLaughlin both emphasised the importance of the Finucane murder, and the Dublin/Monaghan bombing and, at the same time, famously asserted that the killing of Jean McConville was not a crime. The family has been campaigning squarely on the single issue of their mother’s innocence for some ten years. …

Faul on the British…

Mick Fealty on June 26, 2006, 1:17 pm

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Dean Godson had an interesting line on Denis Faul last week, in which he notes the consistency in his anti British and then anti IRA stance on Human Rights. He also recalls Faul’s words on how the British love of cricket reflected their approach to deal with armed insurrection by the IRA: “One thing about the Brits,” he would say. “Just remember, they play cricket. Nice and long and slow.” This observation brought him little pleasure: he felt that though …

Parades Commission appeal continues

Mick Fealty on June 16, 2006, 9:28 pm

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The appeal for a judicial appeal over the appointments of two Orangemen to the Parades Commission ended in a split decision in favour of the Secretary of State’s right to make an approach to certain individuals, ie members of the loyal orders, without having to balance that action by approaching other parties to the parades dispute – namely resident’s groups. Accordingly, there are two judgements: a minority and majority judgement. To my decidedly unlawerly eye, the key difference seems to …

Are you ‘right’ in the head…

Mick Fealty on June 14, 2006, 1:46 pm

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Richard Delevan finds he’s getting flak from his right wing mates for questioning the news management techniques of the White House and the practice of ‘extraordinary’ rendition. But as he writes himself, “I’ve never had a problem with snatching the worst of the baddies, per se. It’s just that I want to keep the practice ‘extraordinary’. When enough of it is going on that you need to build new prisons, it sounds suspiciously ‘ordinary’.” Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of …

Parades Commission – a separation of facilitating and determining

Pete Baker on May 21, 2006, 7:44 pm

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It’s not a surprise that Sir George Quigley has called for the Parades Commission to be reconstituted, given the fact that the recommendations he made in his 2002 report[pdf file] contained the same suggestion. Recommendations which, after a lengthy consultation process and a Northern Ireland Affairs Committee report, were subsequently rejected by the NIO minister at the time, Ian Pearson, in February 2005. The NIO followed up with another consultation, on suggestions for a mediation process, a consultation which was …

Second attempt to avoid trial launched by McFarlane

Pete Baker on May 16, 2006, 3:56 pm

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Following this year’s Irish Supreme Court overturning of a 2003 High Court ruling, a 3rd October 2006 date was set for the trial of the prominent Provisional IRA member Brendan McFarlane by the Special Criminal Court for the kidnapping of businessman Don Tidey in 1983, shortly after McFarlane’s escape from the Maze prison – he was initially charged in January 1998. Yesterday the High Court granted leave to McFarlane’s lawyers to bring a second set of judicial review proceedings aimed …

Northern Ireland, Human Rights and Security…

Mick Fealty on April 18, 2006, 7:52 pm

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The Institute of British and Irish Studies at UCD has its Annual Conference coming up next Thursday. This year’s theme is Human Rights and Security. The opening speech is from Michael McDowell. And there is serious interest for NI watchers. Amongst them Hegemony, The ‘War on Terror’ and the NI Experience from Colm Campbell, Transitional Justice Institute, at University of Ulster; and a more generalised session on NI with Promoting and Protecting Human Rights from Colin Harvey of the Human …

On the outing of gay offenders in the press

Mick Fealty on April 4, 2006, 1:40 pm

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Around about the time we blogged the story on how many gay men have contemplated suicide, the Belfast Telegraph published a story on ‘cottaging’ in Coleraine. It caused something of a storm of protest, since it not simply published the names of the men involved, but their photographs as well. We re-print two of the letters sent in in protest, which outline important concerns about such graphic outing. The name of the first has been withheld for fear of attacks: …

One to keep an eye on…

Mick Fealty on April 4, 2006, 1:07 pm

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It looks like the Republic’s Minister for Justice is finally ready to bring forward his long awaited reforms of the libel and defamation laws (subs needed). If approved legislation is likely to be brought in under two separate bills, with one on defamation Bill expected in the next week. The report on privacy should be published soon, with legislation coming later in the year. The proposals for the privacy law, drawn up by an expert group of lawyers and civil …

Michael McDowell and the Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Bill as Gaeilge

Cathal O Foirreidh on March 10, 2006, 12:04 am

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A few eyebrows have been raised by Michael McDowell’s introduction of the second stage of the 2005 Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Bill in the Seanad as Gaeilge last Thursday. Firstly concerns have been expressed about the powers granted under the legislation which will “allow EU states to tap phones and monitor text and email messages in Ireland, without first seeking permission from the Irish authorities”, see Carol Coulter in the Irish Times (subs. req.), Potatriotque and Tuppenceworth. A second issue …

Rosa Parks 1913-2005

Pete Baker on October 25, 2005, 5:31 pm

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Rosa Parks, whose brave and dignified act of civil disobedience in 1955 inspired the modern civil rights movement, has died at the age of 92. At It Comes in Pints, Emily links to CNN’s obituary, and this one, and adds some thoughts of her own, as does Jo over at JoBlog. The Guardian, meanwhile, notes this quote, by Rosa Parks – “It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the …

Getting some perspective…

Belfast Gonzo on October 18, 2005, 9:48 am

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ULSTER Unionist and Jewish – Alex Benjamin argues that Fr Alec Reid’s comparison of unionists to Nazis wasn’t just offensive to unionists. Anyway, if unionists are Nazis, how come the BNP has decided it ain’t worth their while to set up shop here?Benjamin writes: Once again the Jewish experience has been used by someone with no real grasp of the situation to make a political point. … In the words of Fintan O’Toole: “The authoritarianism of Irish governments, north and …

Lack of enthusiasm for truth…

Belfast Gonzo on October 18, 2005, 7:05 am

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TOM Luby has some interesting speculation about why a full public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane is not on the cards – it’s not really in the interests of either Sinn Fein or the British Government. It’s another good reason to be honest and see the utter futility of a Truth Commission, since it’s pretty clear no-one has any intention of going anywhere near the truth. They have mixed success anywhere, and who could have confidence in it? …

Protectionism gone too far..?

Belfast Gonzo on October 9, 2005, 8:14 pm

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LORD Laird has taken up the case of a family from Northern Ireland who have been refused permission to buy a house in the Connemara Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area). It’s not because the family don’t speak Irish, but apparently don’t speak it well enough. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Paisley: governments must deliver genuine Equality

Mick Fealty on September 15, 2005, 3:06 pm

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Ian Paisley has been insisting that the riots arose directly out of Unionist alienation from the stop start peace process that has seen visible benefits for Nationalism and none for Unionism. He wants the government to tackle ‘blackspots of discrimination against Protestants’ and called for “an economic deal must be established to deliver equality.” 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 …

Saying Sorry is the hardest thing…

Belfast Gonzo on September 13, 2005, 9:34 am

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FACTOTUM go to court later today, claiming that Belfast City Council has curtailed its right to free speech through The Vacuum, a free arts magazine that the council sponsors. Factotum believes the Council is in breach of the Human Rights Act, by trying to impose conditions on magazine content. Looks like someone will be saying Sorry at last!Good backgrounder here at mediawatchwatch and a more balanced one with the BBC here. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Too many ‘rights’…?

Belfast Gonzo on September 11, 2005, 3:31 am

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MI5 chief Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller has asked the British public to discuss which of its liberties it is prepared to sacrifice in the war against terrorism.The BBC reports: The central dilemma, said Dame Eliza – director general of MI5 – was how to protect citizens within the rule of law when “fragile” intelligence did not amount to clear cut evidence. Such intelligence was often not enough to support criminal charges in the courts, she said. “We can believe, correctly, that …

Another statement Ruaned…

Belfast Gonzo on September 1, 2005, 4:06 am

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SINN Fein has called for eBay to stop selling DVDs of Irish Travellers’ bare-knuckle fights. Without a trace of irony, Catriona Ruane stated: “We are against the exploitation of violence in any way… They shouldn’t be selling racist incitement to hatred.” She obviously hasn’t visited Sinn Fein’s online shop in a while… Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Sunday reading…

Belfast Gonzo on August 21, 2005, 6:10 pm

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THE loyalist threat to newsagents selling the Sunday World – a tabloid newspaper famous for exposing and ridiculing paramilitary groups – is an attack on freedom of speech. Yet the response from the Government to this situation today is in marked contrast to the way in which Mo Mowlam showed her solidarity with the paper when its offices were firebombed a few years ago. Sadly, all the NIO tea and sympathy in the world won’t change the fact that no-one …