NI to get new human rights team 'by Autumn'

A new human rights chief will be appointed in Northern Ireland within months, the British government announced today.

A full team of commissioners will also be brought in as part of a major overhaul of the beleaguered body set up under the Good Friday Agreement.

Since then the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has been rocked by resignations, in-fighting and scathing criticisms of current leader Professor Brice Dickson.

The chief commissioner came under fire from nationalists over his handling of a legal case taken by a parent over the loyalist protests at Holy Cross Primary School in north Belfast in 2002.

But Stormont Minister John Spellar outlined plans to restore its battered image in Britain's parliament.

He confirmed: “We will shortly begin a process to recruit a new chief commissioner and a full set of commissioners to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

“We expect the process to take some months, with the new chief commissioner and commissioners being announced in the autumn.”

An independent assessor and consultants will be drafted in to ensure the best possible candidates are selected.

Although the chief commissioner-designate will join early, he will not take control until Prof Dickson’s term ends next February.

The new boss must restore confidence in the organisation which was drained as seven commissioners left the 13-member body.

Three of those who quit did so in dispute at how the commission was operating, but none was ever replaced.

Mr Spellar insisted the current group still had work to do and was not being wound down.

He added: “From the outset, each commissioner has played an important role in prompting a culture of rights in Northern Ireland.

“They will leave behind an impressive body of work which I believe history will judge kindly.

“They have served in the best interests of all the people of Northern Ireland, at times under great pressure. For this, they deserve our gratitude and our support in their ongoing work.”

Prof Dickson, who was today addressing a human rights conference in Albania, said he was pleased with the British government’s plans.

The chief commissioner pledged: “Much remains to be done and we will continue to work independently and vigorously throughout our terms of office, hopefully soon with additional colleagues.”

Both Sinn Féin and the nationalist SDLP cautiously backed the announcement.

Sinn Féin assembly group leader Conor Murphy called for a wholesale restructuring of the organisation, with the new appointments process in line with international standards.

SDLP human rights spokeswoman Patricia Lewsley said: “We need a totally new commission so that there can be a clean break with the controversies of the past.

“But if this is to have credibility, the commission also has to get the resources and powers that it needs.”