Press Release – Not for use before 5.30pm on 24 November 2010
One of the world’s top human rights lawyers has said that the Irish State’s protection of rights lags behind Northern Ireland.
Speaking in Dublin today (24 November 2010) at the launch of the ICCL’s new Know Your Rights guide on the European Convention on Human Rights, Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC said:
“A fair reading of your Constitution and European Convention on Human Rights Act compared with our Human Rights Act and Northern Ireland Act does not seem to me to ensure an equivalent level of protection.”
The Liberal Democrat peer and crusading human rights advocate added that:
“Your European Convention on Human Rights Act provides for the weakest form of incorporation of this key international treaty and does not permit your courts to develop unwritten law to comply with the Convention.”
ICCL Director Mr Mark Kelly added:
“Given the weaknesses in our system, we hope that this latest addition to the ICCL’s Know Your Rights stable will help people to understand how they can take a case to Strasbourg if they are unable to vindicate their rights here in Ireland.”
The publication is supported by the Public Interest Law Alliance (PILA). PILA Manager Larry Donnelly said:
“Giving people information about their rights in a clear and accessible manner is one of the most effective ways to empower them to use those rights. PILA is very happy to be able to support this ICCL initiative”.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Walter Jayawardene
Campaigns and Communications Officer
Irish Council for Civil Liberties
9-13 Blackhall Place
Dublin 7
Ireland
Tel. + 353 1 799 4504
Mob: +353 87 9981574
E-mail: info@iccl.ie
NOTES TO THE EDITOR
Anthony Lester QC is available for interview and further comment after the launch of the ICCL’s latest publication, Know Your Rights: The European Convention of Human Rights in Ireland, on Wednesday 24th November at 5:45pm at Buswell’s Hotel, Dublin 2. Pictures from the launch will be available from Collins photo.
Know Your Rights – The European Convention on Human Rights in Ireland is the third information pack in the Irish Council for Civil Liberties’ (ICCL) Know Your Rights series. Published with the kind support of the Public Interest Law Alliance (PILA), it provides a plain English outline of the rights protected under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and information on how to take a case to Strasbourg. It will be distributed to Citizens Information Centres nationwide, and will, along with the other packs in the series on criminal justice and privacy, be the subject of various informational events for advice givers around the country in the coming year. It will also be published online at www.knowyourrights.ie.
About Anthony Lester QC
Anthony Lester QC is a Liberal Democrat life peer and President of the Human Rights Lawyers Association. He was a founder of Interights (the International Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights) and was architect of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and Race Relations Act 1976 as special adviser to Home Secretary Roy Jenkins. He has argued many leading cases on human rights in British, European and Commonwealth courts. He campaigned for 30 years for the Human Rights Act and introduced other legislation leading to the Civil Partnership Act, the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act and the Equality Acts. His current initiative is a ground-breaking Defamation Bill. Anthony Lester QC is Adjunct Professor of Public Law at University College Cork and is Joint Editor of Butterworths Human Rights Law and Practice (Third Ed. 2009). He is also a Junior Member of the Bar Council of Ireland and a blow-in of West Cork of 37 years standing.