Equality and Human Rights Commissions to give evidence to Lords Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol Sub-Committee

At 4pm the committee will hear from:

• Alyson Kilpatrick, Chief Commissioner, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
• Éilis Haughey, Head of Service (Dedicated Mechanism – EU Withdrawal), Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
• Geraldine McGahey, Chief Commissioner, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland
• Roisín Mallon, Director, Dedicated Mechanism Unit, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

This evidence session will be held remotely and streamed on Parliament TV.

The questions the committee is likely to ask include:

• How does Article 2 of the Protocol interact with the relevant provisions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement?
• What are the key issues that have arisen, or may arise in the future, in relation to the implementation of Article 2?
• How aware are the public of individuals’ ability to bring legal challenges in cases of breaches of the Article 2 commitment?
• How will relevant developments in EU law in relation to the rights of individuals be monitored?
• What challenges have arisen, or do you envisage will arise, from the UK’s commitment to “no diminution of rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity” in Northern Ireland under Article 2?

More on this committee

The committee’s work can be followed on its website and via Twitter.

In July the committee published its introductory report on the operation of the Protocol.

The report identified flaws in the approach both by the UK Government and the EU: on the part of the UK, a lack of clarity and transparency about what the implications would be, and a lack of readiness that undermined business preparedness; on the part of the EU, a lack of balance, flexibility and understanding of the political sensitivities in Northern Ireland; and a resultant lack of trust between the UK and the EU.