The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has said it regrets that the Government ignored the views of a large number of nongovernmental organisations in its choice of president for the new Human Rights Commission.
The former Supreme Court judge, Mr Donal Barrington (72), was named last night as the new head of the commission by the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue. The commission is being established following a commitment given in the Belfast Agreement. An ICCL statement said the Government had failed to observe best practice in the appointment. It said that 15 NGOs involved in the human rights field had called on the Government to put in place an open, transparent and accountable selection procedure for this post, "which should set a headline for all other public appointments".
"Instead, the Government opted for the old, discredited method of direct appointment." It said that the ICCL and other NGOs have called for the new body to be a people's commission with a dynamic and activist role rather than a quasi-judicial structure. "While we have the highest respect for Judge Barrington's distinguished judicial record we are disappointed that the presidency of the Human Rights Commission has not been filled by a person who is currently active in human rights advocacy." The ICCL wants the other eight members of the commission - some of whom it said should be appointed on a full-time basis - to be appointed by an independent selection committee after an open applications procedure. "The commissioners should have a track record in human rights work and the commission should include representatives of minority and disadvantaged groups in Irish society. "
Mr O'Donoghue said the commission would be in the forefront of a new beginning and a new awareness of a human rights culture in Ireland responsible for "promotion, protection and development of human rights."