Hated unions.
raised in the IN RECENT years, a considerable number of reforms have been introduced to attack discrimination and enhance gendes Northern Ireland. But major changes are still neded if the people of Northern are to have the alle rights as other of the United Guzens Kingdom.
Most of the 'reforms' which were passed lasted for onlv a saort une.
One of the demands of the civil rights movement was for the disarming of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. They were asarmea, but oniy Ior a few months, then they were rearmed with better guns. The RUC has also retained its overwhelmingly Protestant membership.
A further demand of the civil rights campaign was to disband the exc usivev Protestant para-military security Specials were disbanded but the replaced by the overwhelmProtestant Ulster HICIY Defence Regiment. Hundreds of members and ex-members of the UDR have been convicted of arms and 'terorist' omrences Perhaps the most famous ot ali the demands ot the civii oi the spesial tesers pint, the Special Powers which among other things allowed for internment without trial.
That, too, was scrapped — •i ı was revaceo ov e and the Pre Pentisic Provisions of TerAct, which IOSISHII provided for internment without trial and many other attacks on civil liberties.
BILL OF RIGHTS It is argued Ireland that only a prehensive Bill of Rights Cole protect Ine civil liberties of the citizens.
A report by the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights Commented that: 'A Bill discussion on the paper's contents in constituency Labour parties and affiliAs an aid to this discussion Socialist Challenge is taking up the five questions consultative paper. week we deal with the second question posed in the Labour Party's paper.
Rights might be interpreted by the courts in a manner which would hamper strong, eTTeCTIVe gressive government...
It is not clear. over, whether such a Bill of Rights would be for Northern Ireland alone or which covers the whole of the United Kingdom.
SC: A Bill of Rights Make oRv a minimal Act of terence There against discrimination such discrimination tinues; laws against the RUC and the Army pic inl co• oooe. continue; This prisoners have still been tor- arallls LorLurC LUCU Parlamentary is not alle guarantee of HUrudO CILS of Ireland or anywhere else.
proTHE Fair Employment Act more 1976 equality of opportunity employment between peoOlIC ple OT beliefs It makes it unlawful for would an employer to discrimindif- against a person For political conmurdering peobut those laws ensure Tene Irish DUL legislation Telsl never wil be equality - in the North have to emooymenn exists to encourage the Fair different religious on PORTEN Water cannons — the police response to civil rights demonstrators in Derry, April 1969.
opinion in sklled either the public or private sector of employment.
It is the task of the Fair handful Agency provisions the Act are carried out. It is judges not yet clear whether curconvictions. legislation is strong enough to enforce the provisions of the 1976 Act.
It may be that we shall wait some time the pattern of Nunerr Ireland is radically altered.
troduction Abortion SC: It is abundantly clear that regarding Act wolked ine Agency has itself reported that a Catholic is two and a half times more ilkelv to be unemoloved thar a Protestant and that: 'The L Amanda WOTKCI. whereas the model Roman Catholic male is unskilled.
There have only been of l selalvls under the Fair Employment Act, and because most of the al C Unionists, there have been only one or two ABORTION HOMOSEXUALITY THE present law relating to abortion is similar to that England estet and Wales prior to the in.
of the 1967 Act; the law homosexual aHS conesoonos wila tacI which existed before the passing of the 1967 Sexual Offenders Act.
SC: The last Labour government promised to reform the law relating to gays, and then of to changed mine Cone pressure exerted by Unionists a w estaster. witwo the government then had a parlamentary alliance Gays have a right to lead their WILDOU being harassed; women have the right control OWIl bodies. No legal restrictions should be , permitted which the way of those FISTES CUSTODY RIGHTS?
IT was alleged by Amnesty HemCiona report published 1978 that police at Castlereagh police station had used illegal methods to CALlarI confessions and informa. tion out of suspected per sons taken into custodv.
It is believed that more than three-quarters of convictions were made on the basis of such methods The Labour govern. ment immediately set up a comlet waca reportea in March 1979 that 'our own chatliiialion of medical evidence reveals cases in which injuries, their precise selfLaust wert inflicted and were sustained in police custody'.
The report therefore listed over 60 ways of im proving interrogation procedures and the rights of those taken into custody. All these recommenda tions beer implemented including exter nal observation questioning and the right access solicitor after 48 hours.
How Labour Col Government best promote and protect civil rights in Northern Ireland?
SC: The denial of civil liberties occurs because of SOllIC sauisul tendencies among members of the RUC, the British army, or 'military solution' advocates like Roy Mason, Labour's last Northern Ireland Secretary Such practices, reinforced by discrimination, are designed to intimidate the Catholic population because of its opposttior the Nothern Ireland state.
The establishment of that and the . partition Ireland was in itself a denial of a basic human right - the right of the people of all of re ane determine that country's future.
It is only to be expected that the authorities. in backing up tha anti-democratic settlement, find it necessary employ other democratic methods.
The best way the Labour Partv can protect civil rights 1.
remove the those rights are deniec - the partition of and British presence in the north ofithat country.
Parkhill NUM delegate have responded to positive
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Socialist Challenge 5 February 1981 Page 14 The Labour Party has asked for a full