Sir, - The Republic is about to take a momentous step forward in the field of human rights. Within the next few weeks a Human Rights Commission will be set up with wide-ranging powers to hold inquiries, initiate legal action and review existing law and practices to see that they conform to international human rights standards. One of its first tasks will be to set up a joint committee with the already established Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and draw up a Charter of Rights for the whole island.
This is potentially one of the most exciting human rights developments for many years and the new commission can and should be a resource for asylum-seekers, ethnic minorities, the disabled, prisoners, the mentally ill and all whose rights need protection. But there is still an important issue to be resolved.
The commission is due to hold its first meeting in July but there has been no indication yet as to how its members are going to be appointed or what criteria will be used to select them. If the commission is to win the confidence of those it is intended to serve, it is vital that its members should be appointed in an open and transparent manner and that they should have shown a clear commitment to human rights.
The Northern Ireland commission was appointed by open advertisements inviting people to apply for membership. Anything less for the Southern commission would be in breach of the spirit of the commitment in the Good Friday Agreement that there should be at least equivalent protection of human rights in the Republic as in the North.
The Government is to be congratulated on the passing of the Human Rights Commission Act 2000, which could open up a new era in human rights protections in Ireland. It would be a pity now to fall at the first hurdle by not following best practice in appointment the first members of the commission. - Yours, etc.
Michael Farrell, Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Lower Dominic Street, Dublin 1.