Not the Minority Report 2
The Human Rights Commission presented its on a Northern Ireland Bill of Rights to Shaun Woodward yesterday. The two dissenting unionists, Daphne Trimble and Jonathan Bell presented their minority opinion to the Secretary of State today.
The advice has already come in for some flak over at the although their take on it seems to presuppose that a future court might decide it was not appropriate to send a teen murderer to jail. Elsewhere in the paper Newton Emerson - no fan of the rights lobby - is sceptical about whether Westminster will run with a comprehensive bill, given the lack of cross community support.
By contrast with the generally negative press coverage, rights enthusiasts like have defended the proposals as an attempt to create "a safety net for the most vulnerable."
At the time of the Good Friday Agreement many assumed the bill would deal with matters like parades and protests. Reading through the advice, I noticed the following:
"Everyone belonging to a national, ethnic, religious, linguistic or
cultural minority in Northern Ireland has the right, individually and in
community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own
culture, to profess and practise their own religion, and to use their
own language, in private and in public. No one exercising these
rights may do so in a manner inconsistent with the rights and
freedoms of others."
Unionists may have criticised the NIHRC advice for ranging across too many subjects not specific to Northern Ireland, but the anti abortion campaign group has accused Monica McWilliams of a sin of omission. They are demanding the Chief Commissioner's resignation due to her decision not to to recommend protection for unborn children.
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