The UN Commission on Human Rights is to send a special rapporteur to Northern Ireland to investigate complaints about police harassment of lawyers acting for persons charged with IRA activities. Complaints against the police from lawyers in Britain will also be investigated. The special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Mr Param Cumaraswamy of Malaysia, arrives in London on Monday for a 10-day visit. He is expected to meet ministers, judges and lawyers in Britain and Northern Ireland and also hopes to visit detention centres in the North.
Mr Cumaraswamy is a special rapporteur attached to the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. The Commission is separate from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson. Although the Commissioner's secretariat provides back-up services for the Commission, Mrs Robinson's office has no role in deciding upon, carrying out or assessing the results of Mr Cumaraswamy's investigation.
Special rapporteurs attached to the Commission are independent, and decide where they themselves wish to investigate.
The British Conservative government agreed last spring to allow him carry out his investigation: he can only carry out investigations with the agreement of the host country. He will report back to the Commission next February or March, and the Commission may then decide to make recommendations.
It is understood his itinerary in Northern Ireland does not include a meeting with Sinn Fein. Welcoming the visit, Sinn Fein nevertheless said it would expect to be treated like any other political party.
The RUC said it would co-operate fully with "genuine investigators" examining the relationship between police and solicitors in Northern Ireland.
A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Office said the British government "welcomes the opportunity to demonstrate how the independence and impartiality of judges and lawyers is protected in the UK and to offer the rapporteur our full assistance during his visit".
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office in London said the British government was happy for Mr Cumaraswamy to come.