Northern Ireland

Theresa May appointment prompts warning over probes into past

Amnesty International's Patrick Corrigan has voiced concern about Theresa May's appointment as prime minister
Amnesty International's Patrick Corrigan has voiced concern about Theresa May's appointment as prime minister Amnesty International's Patrick Corrigan has voiced concern about Theresa May's appointment as prime minister

THERESA May's appointment as prime minister could signal difficulties for probes into the north's troubled past, a human rights advocate has warned.

Amnesty International's Patrick Corrigan said Mrs May's opposition to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) was a "major concern", as was support of increased surveillance powers.

In April, Mrs May said the UK should withdraw from the human rights convention - which is separate from the EU institutions - while remaining in the union.

She said it "can bind the hands of parliament".

However, when Mrs May formally launched her bid for the party leadership last month she rowed back on her call because she said it did not have the support of MPs.

Mr Corrigan acknowledged that Mrs May was no longer committed to ditching the ECHR but said concerns about her attitude to human rights remained.

"The ECHR has been absolutely crucial to many families in Northern Ireland getting proper investigations into the death of their loved ones," he said.

"Many of the landmark cases in Strasbourg, particularly around the right to effective investigations, have been Northern Ireland cases relating to the Troubles, where for decades people were unable to secure proper investigations."

Amnesty has been closely involved with the 'Hooded Men' case, in which the Dublin government is asking the European court to revise its judgment that a group of men interned in 1971 suffered inhuman and degrading treatment but not torture.

Mr Corrigan said he had wider concerns about Mrs May's "authoritarian and restrictive approach" to human rights.

"Her advocacy of increased surveillance powers without adequate oversight would also be a concern to Amnesty."

Republicans said on Monday night that Mrs May's appointment could not be allowed to stymie progress on legacy issues, which Secretary of State Theresa Villiers said earlier this week was "closer than ever before".

Sinn Féin's Alex Maskey said the British government needed to lift its "so-called national security veto on disclosure".

The SDLP's Alex Attwood said his party had negotiated directly with the home secretary over the National Crime Agency.

"In that space, she demonstrated that there were different and unique circumstances in Northern Ireland which had to be dealt with in unique and different ways," he said.

First Minister Arlene Foster said Mrs May had a "positive history" of working with the Stormont administration.

"I wish Theresa May every success as she becomes prime minister of the United Kingdom and assure her that we stand ready to work with her in the best interests of Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom as a whole," the DUP leader said.

Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said: "I offer my best wishes to Mrs May as she embarks on guiding the country through what will be intense negotiations to leave the EU."