The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr O'Donoghue, has said he "is currently giving serious consideration" to incorporating the European Convention on Human Rights into Irish law. Such a move would bring many advantages to Irish citizens, the Minister said. He officially opened the new Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway yesterday.
Ireland is alone among the 41 countries that are party to the European Convention not to have included it in domestic law. A benefit of incorporation would be that human rights guaranteed under the convention could be pleaded under Irish courts, rather than parties having to go to Strasbourg as is the case at present, the Minister said. However, there were also potential difficulties which must be examined, he cautioned.
Mr O'Donoghue is now looking at the most effective way of incorporating the convention into Irish law.