A human rights NGO has said the postponement of the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement threatens the rule of law.

The Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), a human rights NGO in Northern Ireland, criticised the decision by Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire not to publish plans to deal with legacy issues until there is “political agreement” between Northern Ireland’s political parties.

CAJ said the decision amounted to “a further and potentially indefinite delay” to the implementation of the UK’s international legal obligations.

Daniel Holder, deputy director of CAJ, said: “We have seen a range of attacks on the rule of law of late – whether it is the blockage over funding legacy inquests to prevent a whole area of the rule of law being applied, or the granting of a veto over the implementation of the Stormont House mechanisms.

“We are equally concerned over the newspaper attacks conflating lawyers with their clients’ causes and the assault on Supreme Court judges in sections of the media regarding the Brexit process case in which we are one of the parties.

“The UK does not regard itself as an international outlaw and cannot pick and choose which of its obligations to implement; it needs to respect the rule of law in its entirety, including living up to its legal obligations to protect the independence of the judiciary and legal profession.”