ECHR: What would potential UK exit mean for NI?
The NI Affairs Committee hears from legal experts and representatives from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission as it examines the implications of any potential UK withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) for Northern Ireland.
Meeting details
A commitment from the UK to incorporate the ECHR into Northern Ireland law was written into the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement (BGFA). Some commentators argue that part of the Windsor Framework protects against any potential reversal of human rights, and effectively stops the UK leaving the ECHR. MPs on the Committee will question experts on how the UK might meet its commitments in these international agreements while also withdrawing from the ECHR. They are also likely to ask how, in theory, withdrawal or reform could be achieved and the potential side-effects of doing so for Northern Ireland.
The ECHR was introduced in 1953 to guarantee access to basic human rights across Europe following the Second World War, and there are currently 46 signatories. It is not an organ of the European Union.