Rights Chief Moves On
Press Release – For immediate release
Ireland’s independent human rights watchdog, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) announced today (Wednesday, 22 June 2016) that its long-serving Executive Director Mr. Mark Kelly has decided to leave his position with the Council.
Mr. Kelly, an international human rights lawyer who has led the ICCL since May 2006, will remain in post until his successor has been appointed.
The announcement comes shortly after the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, hosted an official reception to celebrate the ICCL’s 40 years of independent human rights work. In his speech at Áras an Uachtaráin on 8 June 2016, the President said:
“It is wonderful that today we can celebrate a strong ICCL that has now developed into an authoritative human rights campaigning organisation on the global stage.”
Commenting today on Mr. Kelly’s departure, ICCL Co-Chairs, Ms. Siobhan Cummiskey and Mr. Niall Mulligansaid:
“Since joining the Board of the ICCL in 2010, we have had the great pleasure and privilege of working alongside Mark. Under his leadership and guidance, his professionalism and integrity in everything he does has contributed significantly to the many achievements of the ICCL. All of us who have worked with Mark will misshim. We wish him the very best in his future career and have no doubt that his work will continue to promote and protect the human rights of many people, both here in Ireland and internationally. “
The ICCL’s outgoing Executive Director Mr. Mark Kelly added:
“It has been a huge honour to lead the Irish Council for Civil Liberties throughout the last decade. I am leaving with great pride in the achievements of the ICCL’s team during that time, especially its central role in two successful referendum campaigns, defeating regressive proposals on Oireachtas inquiries (or “kangaroo courts”) and, with partners, winning the Marriage Equality referendum. I am fully confident that the ICCL will replicate these successes when the referendum to repeal the 8th amendment to the Constitution is held.”
“This is the Council’s 40th anniversary year and I believe that the time has come for fresh leadership to take the organisation forward into its fifth decade as Ireland’s independent human rights watchdog. I am looking forward to focusing my energies more fully on my international role as the member elected in respect of Ireland of the Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) as well as continuing to contribute to national human rights work as a Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC).”
ENDS
Note to editor
The ICCL was founded in June 1976 by Mary Robinson, who later became President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kader Asmal, later a Minister in the Nelson Mandela’s first Government and others. It is an entirely independent human rights organisation that receives no Government funding.
The full text of the speech by President Michael D Higgins at the Áras an Uachtaráin Reception to Celebrate 40 Years of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties
Wednesday on 8 June 2016 can be found at this link: https://static.rasset.ie/documents/news/speech-by-president-michael-d-higgins.pdf
Mark Kelly is an international human rights lawyer who has led the Irish Council for Civil Liberties since May 2006. In 2013, he was appointed by the Minister for Justice & Equality as a Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) and a member of the Board of the Equality Authority, pending the creation of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission(IHREC – www.ihrec.ie), to which the President of Ireland appointed him as a Commissioner on 31 October 2014. In October 2014, he also became the Senior Legal Expert for Ireland for the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) multidisciplinary research network (FRANET). In November 2014, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe elected him as the member in respect of Ireland of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT – www.cpt.coe.int).