Published on 14th Sep, 2024
A soon to be delivered judgment by the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal in the Dillon case (which deals with the controversial Legacy Act) will have very significant implications for the future protection of human rights in Northern Ireland, well beyond the issue of legacy itself.
In advance of the judgment Social Change Initiative working in collaboration with the Human Rights Centre at Queen’s University and the Donia Human Rights Centre at the University of Michigan has produced an accessible guide to the issues at stake. This is the third publication from SCI focusing on Article 2 of the Windsor Framework (formerly known as the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol). The Northern Ireland High Court had struck down provisions of the Legacy Act on the grounds that they were contrary to Article 2. The previous Conservative government appealed that decision and the new Labour government has decided to continue the Appeal against the High Court’s interpretation of Article 2.
Martin O’Brien, Director of Social Change Initiative, said: “The forthcoming judgment in the Legacy Act case will determine whether the commitment to ensure that Brexit does not lead to any diminution in the human rights and equality protections of the Good Friday Agreement has any real substance. We hope our report will help everyone to get to grips with the complex legal issues that the case will decide. And why they matter to us all.”
See also:
- Human Rights and Equality in Northern Ireland Under the Protocol: A Practical Guide | Social Change Initiative
- Northern Ireland Protocol Bill threatens human rights protections
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The Irish Centre for European Law, the Social Change Initiative and the Human Rights Centre at Queen’s are also organising a seminar to discuss the implications of the Court of Appeal’s judgment on 24th October at Queen’s. A series of legal expert panels will assess the judgment and its implications. Click here for more info.