Human Rights Commission of Northern Ireland: An Interview with Professor Monica McWilliams, Chief Commissioner

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) came into existence on 1 March 1999. It was created by Section 68 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, in compliance with a commitment made by the British Government in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement of 10 April 1998. The Agreement was a political settlement between the governments of Britain and Ireland, Northern Ireland’s political parties, and civil society organisations, and sought to bring an end to thirty years of violence in which more than 3,500 people had died.1 The Commission has a full-time Chief Commissioner (Monica McWilliams) and nine part-time Commissioners. Its role is to promote awareness of the importance of human rights in Northern Ireland; to review existing law and practice; and to advise the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Executive Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly on what steps need to be taken to fully protect human rights in Northern Ireland. In September 2005 Michele Lamb, Executive Editor of the Essex Human Rights Review (EHRR), met with Monica McWilliams and was granted the following interview.