Human Rights

Organisations dedicated to the advancement of human rights will be eligible to become charities under reforms proposed by the government. The Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023, to be introduced to the Dáil today, includes a series of revisions and updates to the Charities Act 2009, including pr

More than 1,070 members of the legal profession have called on the UK government to press for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank and to take urgent steps to ensure the UK government does not violate international humanitarian law or aid or assist its violation by others. The letter, or

A Northern Ireland Business and Human Rights Index has been developed by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) in partnership with the Law School at Queen’s University Belfast. NIHRC chief commissioner Alyson Kilpatrick said: “This new Northern Ireland Business and Human R

The Law Society of Ireland has congratulated trainee solicitors Andrea Whelton (Arthur Cox LLP) from Leap, West Cork, Aoibhín O’Connor (Denise Kelleher & Associates Solicitors, Cork) from Ballinhassig, Cork, and Jennifer Ryan (Matheson LLP) from Castletroy, Limerick for progressing

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has provided legal assistance to a disabled woman in a discrimination claim under the Equal Status Acts. The woman alleged that a State body had failed to provide her with transport that would have enabled her to avail of its services on an equal footin

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission have launched their Annual Joint Report, their first since they took over their new roles in respect of Protocol Article 2. It outlines the joint work of the

There must be urgent action to tackle violence against women, human rights experts have said. Today is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, an initiative that calls for action to end all forms of discrimination and gender-based violence against women and girls.

A prominent human rights lawyer jailed in Azerbaijan should be released immediately, the Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights has said. Elchin Sadykov, a well-known human rights defender, was arrested last Saturday alongside one of his clients client, journalist Avaz Zeynalli.

The lives of women and girls in Afghanistan are being devastated by the Taliban’s crackdown on their human rights, Amnesty International has said in a new report. Since they took control of the country in August 2021, the Taliban have violated women’s and girls’ rights to education

The Bill of Rights will severely weaken rights protection in the UK, cause unnecessary legal uncertainty, have serious consequences for the devolved settlements and Good Friday Agreement and is inconsistent with our international obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, JUSTICE has

Freedom of speech and the views of elected lawmakers will be given greater weight in law under the controversial Bill of Rights introduced to Parliament today, the UK government claims. The bill aims to help prevent "trivial human rights claims from wasting judges’ time and taxpayer money". A

The UK government's proposals to replace the Human Rights Act with a new British Bill of Rights risk weakening existing human rights protections, Westminster's joint committee on human rights has warned. In a new report, the committee warns that the new regime could cause confusion and result in mor

Italy violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights after it failed to protect a woman and her children, one of whom was murdered by the applicant's partner. Ms Landi alleged that the Italian state had failed to take the requisite action to protect her and her two children from the d

Saudi Arabia has executed 16 more people since the mass execution of 81 men on March 12. Eight of those executions took place this week, including two executions on Wednesday, only two days before F1 practice sessions begin.

An ongoing smear campaign against human rights lawyer Colin Harvey threatens academic freedom in Northern Ireland and has the potential to spark physical violence, UN human rights experts have said. Since 2019, Professor Harvey, former commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, ha