22 June 2021
Representatives from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) are set to appear before the Oireachtas Justice Committee today. In a statement, the organisation said that it was disappointed that the government had chosen not to accept minor modifications to the covid-19 emergency legislation, changes which would have made the legislation more accountable to our elected representatives in the Oireachtas.
Executive Director Liam Herrick will say:
“The extraordinary ministerial powers in the Health Act concentrate far too much power in one pair of hands. The refusal by the Government to accept modest amendments calls into question the Government’s good faith in relation to an urgent return to normal democratic practice. The extension also raises questions about the temporary nature of these restrictions.”
The organisation is also set to reiterate its long-held position that public health guidance should be backed up by good messaging and supports, rather than the criminalisation of ordinary life.
Mr Herrick will say:
“Criminalising and policing everyday life needs to end immediately – including by the removal of penal provisions against people who organise events. Public health is not an area which should be enforceable by criminal justice.”
ICCL will also highlight ongoing concerns that the right to protest has been unduly and potentially unconstitutionally impacted by the restrictions. Other concerns the organisation will bring before the Committee include mandatory hotel quarantine, access to justice, and the return to normal democratic processes. ICCL will add its voice to the call to “build back better” by taking a human rights approach to ensure equality of access to society for all.
ENDS/
Find our opening statement to the Justice Committee here: https://www.iccl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/210618-ICCL-Opening-Statement-Civil-Liberties-and-Pandemic.pdf
Find our report Human Rights in a Pandemic and a media briefing here: https://www.iccl.ie/resources/publication/human-rights-in-a-pandemic/
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) is Ireland’s oldest independent human rights campaigning organisation. We monitor, educate and campaign to secure human rights for everyone in Ireland.
For comment: Liam Herrick
For media queries: sinead.nolan@iccl.ie