Rights body panel steps aside amid UN’s process concerns

Efforts by the Justice Minister Alan Shatter to establish a Human Rights and Equality Commission have hit another major stumbling block, after the Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly withdrew her involvement.

Ms O’Reilly has written to the minister to say that she, along with four others who were part of a “selection panel” to appoint members to the commission, will step aside.

They made the decision after they became aware of concerns of the United Nations in relation to the process of establishing the selection panel. The letter said: “These concerns were contained in legal advice sent to the Government from the Office of the High Commissioner earlier this month.”

But despite the minister receiving the letter in early July, the selection panel said they were not informed about it when they met with officials from the minister’s office last Monday.

“Following your announcement of our appointment to the selection panel on Tuesday, we became aware of the concerns of the High Commissioner for Human Rights,” they said.

Earlier this month, Mr Shatter was forced to reject claims that the independence of the commission was being undermined by his decision to nominate its director.

The Irish Council of Civil Liberties also rowed in, warning that the international “A” ranking granted to the former Human Rights Commission by the UN would be at risk unless the new Commission is empowered to appoint its own chief executive in an open and transparent public appointments process.

The letter from the selection panel said: “We hope and trust that the time and space afforded by our stepping aside will facilitate the process of further reflection and consultation that is obviously required in light of the views of the UN Office of the High Commissioner.”

They said they were “naturally willing to serve but are more concerned to ensure public confidence in the process”.