Stuart Weir (London, Democratic Audit): As is the way of things, only bad news from Northern Ireland makes it onto the British media. So it is that there was something of a media blackout on the report to government here from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, advocating a Bill of Rights for the province that contained significant economic and social rights.  The report, or advice,...

The Ulster Unionist Party has given its initial response to the advice offered by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. The Party has indicated that it will meet with the Commission at an early date to discuss the document and to express its views.

Patrick Corrigan, (Amnesty Blogs: Belfast and Beyond): Today is international Human Rights Day and, ten years after the Multi-Party (Belfast/Good Friday) Agreement, we will finally see the advice on the shape and content of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland handed over by the NI Human Rights Commission to the Secretary of State, Paul Goggins. I’ll be in Castle Buildings at Stormont (venu...

Damian O'Loan (Paris): Northern Ireland's Human Rights Commission has delivered its report advising the Labour government on the content of a NI Bill of Rights. Acting on recommendations from a cross-party and civic society Forum, It has done well to reduce an unfocussed report into this clear document. It is important for a few reasons: The Conservatives have pledged to repeal the Human R...

Although women in England, Scotland and Wales are able to have abortions up to 24 weeks, abortion rights are denied to women in Northern Ireland. There is the opportunity, with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill going through Parliament, for this legal anomaly to be removed. However, the government doesn't seem to keen on this. Kate Belgrave argues that this could be because of a squalid ...

Following the tragic deaths in Northern Ireland, talk of a march for peace has already met with the cynical response that marching has never solved anything in Ulster (Ireland unites against the killers, 11 March). This is, I believe, less of an allusion to those annual demonstrations of the Orange Order than to the protests led by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, whose peaceful camp...

Evening all: Tremendous to see our comrades in the Green party embracing the notion of extending abortion rights to Northern Ireland when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology bill comes round for its third reading. The part I'm really looking forward to, though, is watching our comrades in the Labour party try to reconcile any push for Northern Ireland abortion rights with the undoubtedly h...

Tom Griffin (London, OK): Over at Liberal Conspiracy Laurie Penny highlights moves by abortion rights campaigners to extend the law to Northern Ireland. Diane Abbott has tabled an amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, due for its third reading on the 22nd of October, calling for an extension of the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland. This is precisely the same amendment that...

For months, Northern Irish MPS have been holding the government to ransom over abortion rights, using the bodies of their female constituents as bargaining chips over the 42 days legislation and claiming that if moves are made to extend abortion rights to Northern Ireland, the peace process will be threatened. ‘It’s time to call their

George Williams (Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, University of New South Wales): As the United Kingdom faces a possible national debate on the future of the Human Rights Act and a possible Bill of Rights - not to mention debate over the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission advice to the UK government on a Bill of Rights for the province - it may be of value to keep eyes on the natio...