THE Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights has welcomed the British government's decision to introduce the silent video recording of interviews with paramilitary suspects in RUC interrogation centres.
The decision was announced by the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, in the House of Commons on Tuesday as the Emergency Provisions Act was renewed for another two years.
The commission chairman, Mr Michael Lavery, described as "practical and sensible" the introduction of video recorded interviews at the centres in Castlerea, on the outskirts of east Belfast, Gough Barracks, in Armagh, and Strand Road, in Derry.
"It will protect both the accused and the police and it will cut down on disputes in court about the admissibility of confessions," he said. However, SACHR would prefer if interviews were also audio recorded, she said.
The commission advises the British government on human rights in the North. It is independent but receives government funding. It criticised the government for renewing the Emergency Provisions Act in its entirety for another two years.
The power of internment should have been dropped from the statute book, it said. The commission also proposed that Diplock courts be abolished, with trial by jury introduced in all cases.
Mr Lavery said: "With sustained peace for 16 months, a significant opportunity exists to enhance the protection of individual human rights and civil liberties.
"Emergency provisions are only permissible to deal with an emergency. The commission considers that the situation is changing and very much regrets the government's decision not to take the initiative in permitting a number of existing emergency powers to lapse.
The Sinn Fein justice spokesman, Mr Barry McElduff, demanded the closure of RUC interrogation centres. He said the silent video recording of interviews was inadequate.
He claimed that a man from Castlederg, Co Tyrone, had been threatened while in police custody.
"Something like that would never be picked up on a silent video recording," he said.
However, the Democratic Unionist Party spokesman on justice, Mr Ian Paisley jnr, welcomed the decision, saying that it would enhance the civil liberties of interviewees and would protect RUC officers from unfounded allegations of mistreatment.