NI: Civil society groups launch alliance to scrutinise Brexit bill
An alliance of charities, NGOs and trade unions have joined an alliance to scrutinise the Great Repeal Bill ahead of its second reading next week.
Its members include Amnesty International, Greenpeace, the trade union Unison and human rights groups Global Justice Now and Open Rights Group.
The Fix the Bill alliance claims to be neutral on whether Britain should or should not be an EU member state, but will work with all MPs “to ensure that the best possible outcome results from the Repeal Bill”.
Kevin Hanratty, director of the Northern Ireland-based Human Rights Consortium, said: “The process of exiting the EU represents the single biggest constitutional change in the UK for generations. EU derived rights and systems currently protect people across the UK and have provided an important platform for the Northern Ireland peace process.
“As the UK leaves the EU it is essential that those protections are not diminished in any way. Key to this will be to ensure proper scrutiny and accountability for the passage of the EU Withdrawal Bill, including respect for the role and current powers of the devolved regions.
“This alliance will be an important vehicle in helping bring together the voice of civil society across the UK throughout the passage of that legislation.”