Implementing a Bill of Rights

How would a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland come into effect? How would it work in practice? To help members of the voluntary and community sector gain more information and take a meaningful part in the debate, NICVA and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) are holding a briefing session on the implementation of a Bill of Rights.

The event takes place at NICVA on Wednesday 11 June 2003 at 10.30 am – 12.30 pm. It is free of charge and includes a light lunch.

Who is this for?

All NICVA members are welcome. This briefing session is aimed at helping people get into the human rights and Bill of Rights debate. You may be new to engaging with the Commission, you may be expert in what people need but not familiar with technical or legal terms, you may have sent in a response to the Commission’s consultation paper and want feedback, you may be asking for a strong Bill of Rights (especially one protecting economic and social rights) and want to know how such a Bill would be interpreted by judges and enforced (made a reality) in practice.

Whatever your expertise, a Bill of Rights is too important to be left to the lawyers! This event is part of a build-up to an event the Commission plans to hold on Thursday 26 June 2003 looking at “Implementation” issues.

The Briefing session in NICVA on 11 June aims to:

• give information about progress on the Bill of Rights consultation
• build understanding of the issues relating to ‘Implementation’
• answer how a Bill of Rights sits with the European Convention on Human Rights. How will it be ‘entrenched’, enforced and amended? Should there be a special human rights court?
• increase participants’ confidence and capacity to take part in discussing these issues
• provide information about what human rights standards should apply, and do some ‘jargon-busting’
• provide an opportunity to discuss issues of concern to the community and voluntary sector and prepare to take a full part in the Commission’s event on 26 June 2003.

For information about the Bill of Rights or about this session please contact Miriam Titterton:
028 9024 3987

Register

Contact Georgie Finlay at NICVA by post, fax or email with the following details by Wednesday 4 June 2003 :

Name, organisation, address and postcode, email, phone, fax and special needs (dietary or otherwise).

NICVA contact details:

NICVA
61 Duncairn Gardens
Belfast BT15 2GB

Georgie Finlay
028 9087 7777
028 9087 7799