The North's Human Rights Commission is seeking an expansion of its powers from the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, writes Carol Coulter, Legal Affairs Correspondent.
The commission was required under the Act setting it up to submit a report to the Secretary of State within two years of its establishment. It submitted its report on February 28th, and made it public yesterday.
The commission is seeking to be allowed to intervene as an interested third party in court cases, and to be authorised to compel information to be produced in its investigations of alleged human rights abuses.
"There have been instances where our powers have not been adequate to allow us to perform our functions to the extent which we believe to be necessary," said chief commissioner, Prof Brice Dickson. "In view of a very restrictive interpretation placed upon the commission's powers by the Lord Chief Justice in a ruling given in December 2000, the commission has had to call for very specific amendments to the legislation to ensure that the commission is not completely neutered in future months and years."
The commission is also seeking an increase in resources.