Ihrec

Courts considering medical treatment for a child must balance and protect their constitutional rights as a child, with due regard to the rights of their parents, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has reaffirmed. The human rights watchdog has published its legal submissions to the Suprem

The overwhelmingly majority of people in Ireland believe that human rights are important for creating a fairer society, according to new research published by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. The rights watchdog has published the findings of a new national Amárach poll to mark

A man who was discriminated against by a letting agency for being a recipient of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) has won compensation through the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). The 32-year-old had already viewed the property, agreed a tenancy, signed the agreement and paid a deposit when

A man with an intellectual disability has gone to the High Court to challenge laws preventing him from marrying. The man, known only as V, was prevented from marrying his fiancée last year following an application to the High Court to have him made a ward of court.

Discrimination on the ground of criminal conviction should be banned in equality legislation, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has said. The watchdog made the recommendations as part of its response to the government's review of the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions and Certain Discl

A ban on over-35s applying to become gardaí is discriminatory and unlawful, the Workplace Relations Commission has ruled. Two men who were refused entry to An Garda Síochána on the basis of their age challenged the relevant regulations with support from the Irish Human Rights an

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has been designated as Ireland’s independent national rapporteur on human trafficking, for the purposes of EU anti-human trafficking legislation. The role will include carrying out of assessments of trends in trafficking in human beings, t

Human rights and equality watchdogs north and south of the border have called on the UK government to ensure the controversial Internal Market Bill does not breach the Good Friday Agreement. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC), the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) and

The Supreme Court has ruled that the existing procedure to revoke Irish citizenship from people who acquire Irish nationality is unconstitutional. Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne, handing down her ruling in Ali Charaf Damache v the Minister for Justice and Equality today, said there were insufficient saf

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has expressed serious concern at reports of garda using anti-spit guards on children and vulnerable people with mental health issues. The Commission has joined other human rights groups, such as the Children's Rights Alliance and the Irish Council for C

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has told Oireachtas members that emergency legislation related to COVID-19 must be used only exceptionally and be subject to strict human rights standards and oversight. Chief commissioner Sinéad Gibney and commission member Sunniva McDonagh

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has told the UN that Ireland has not done enough under its human rights obligations for women's rights. The right watchdog's report reviews Ireland's performance on combating discrimination against women, particularly in cases of historic abuse,

Ireland's human rights watchdog has written to Justice Minister Helen McEntee to set out ongoing concerns for the safety and well-being of people in the Direct Provision system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sinéad Gibney, chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, w

Asylum seekers' right to work is being undermined because they are denied access to driving licenses, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has said. The rights watchdog made the remarks following a Dublin Circuit Court ruling which confirmed that a single mother living in a rural D

A marriage is not void in law just because the Minister of Justice has found it to be a marriage of convenience, the Supreme Court has ruled in a landmark judgment. In his judgment, Mr Justice William McKechnie said a determination by the minister under certain regulations "does not have the effect