Paisley calls for removal of Human Rights Commissioner

The head of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission should be removed from office, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Ian Paisley claimed today.

During the second reading of the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill in the House of Commons, Mr Paisley launched a hard-hitting attack on the chief commissioner Monica McWilliams, questioning her suitability because she was at the centre of a libel action he won during the last Assembly.

He also called on the British government to rein the Human Rights Commission in rather than give them new investigatory powers in prisons under the Bill.

Mr Paisley told MPs: "I think she is not fit to be that and she should not be there.

"The sooner the Government removes her from her position and puts in a neutral person into that position the better for everybody.

"I think the Human Rights Commission has failed. Having a debate about the legality of war in Iraq, what is that going to do to the ordinary people on the streets of Belfast trying to get human rights and trying to go about their business?

"Then, there's Northern Ireland involvement in the 11-Plus - you all know my views about that anyway - I don't think that's a matter for the Human Rights Commission and there are other matters.

"They are always putting their foot in matters that are no business of theirs and I think it is time that they were reined in.

"I would make a plea to the minister he has got to rein in this commission and say there is your bailiwick.

"You have not a worldwide global appointment. You have a job to do in Northern Ireland. Go on and do the job for Northern Ireland."

The DUP's East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson continued the barrage of criticism, claiming he would be hard pressed to come up with any high profile cases the Human Rights Commission had been involved in.

In a reference to the previous commission before Monica McWilliams took charge, he told MPs: "I think if you spoke to people in Northern Ireland if they were aware of the Human Rights Commission at all, the only thing they would be aware of is the in-fighting which has occurred - where half of the people who served on the Human Rights Commission dropped out halfway along and refused to even go to the meetings.

"The chief executive or chairman of it or whatever it is called left or was put out because of the way in which the Human Rights Commission operated."

Mr Wilson was challenged by Ulster Unionist MP Lady Sylvia Hermon whether the DUP had any influence over one of its party members, Jonathan Bell, who served on the current commission.

The East Antrim MP replied: "It would be most bizarre, I think, and I think we might come in for some condemnation if we were seen to be pulling the strings of someone who is supposed to be an independent member in it, albeit coming from a particular persuasion."

The SDLP's Eddie McGrady said the investigatory powers granted to the commission were one of the positives in the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill.

However he noted the Equality Commission, the North's Police Ombudsman and Children's Commissioners had such powers but for six years the Human Rights Commission had been denied them.

The South Down MP added: "What Government gives in one hand, too often it claws back with the other.

"And that, regrettably, is what is happening with this Bill.

"Because, for example, the commission can only use its investigatory powers for matters arising after January 1, 2008.

"The commission cannot get access to any information or documents before that date, even if relevant to situations arising after that date.

"So it will be years before the commission will be able to carry out proper investigations and get the full picture.

"Six years of waiting for these powers it seems has not been enough. It might be another four or five before the commission will, in practice, be able to carry out proper investigations.

"And even then, this Bill provides for huge exceptions to the commission's powers.

"Extraordinarily, the commission is expressly prohibited from considering whether any of the intelligence services has acted in a way which is incompatible with human rights.

"And they are prohibited from dealing with any other matter concerning human rights and the intelligence services.

"Now let's be clear about this. It's not merely that the commission will not have the power to demand to speak to MI5 officials or see their documents. They can't even ask.

"So in this regard the commission will actually have fewer powers than it already had."