[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 61 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 61

   Calling for the adoption of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 10, 1993

   Mr. Kennedy (for himself, Mrs. Maloney, Mr. Blute, Mr. Towns, Mr. 
 McHugh, and Mr. King) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Calling for the adoption of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.

Whereas the people of the United States have long held dear their personal 
        rights and freedoms, and have historically promoted such rights 
        worldwide as being both ``self-evident'' and ``inalienable'' for all 
        peoples of all nations;
Whereas it is an ongoing concern of the residents of the United States that the 
        residents of Northern Ireland do not enjoy the same fundamental human 
        rights and civil liberties which are eloquently articulated in the 
        American Declaration of Independence and which are enshrined in the 
        United States Bill of Rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of 
        the press, protections against self-incrimination, the right to trial by 
        jury, and guarantees of due process of law;
Whereas despite the fact that the Government of the United Kingdom has had, 
        since the partition of the island of Ireland in 1920, the responsibility 
        of ensuring fundamental human rights and civil liberties for the people 
        of Northern Ireland, that government instead has contributed greatly to 
        the systematic denial of these rights through a perennial renewal and 
        reinforcement of ``emergency'' legislation;
Whereas this ``emergency'' legislation, which lodges extraordinary arbitrary 
        power with the British Government, has been in effect since the 
        formation of Northern Ireland and, at present, there is no plan for, nor 
        any foreseeable likelihood of, its repeal;
Whereas this failure on the part of the Government of the United Kingdom can be 
        seen to be that much more flagrant because that government has been a 
        signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights since 1950 and 
        because it has consistently ignored the recommendations of the Standing 
        Advisory Commission on Human Rights, established by the Northern Ireland 
        Constitution Act of 1973;
Whereas the situation in Northern Ireland still exists where too many of the 
        residents of Northern Ireland are denied basic human liberties and 
        rights, and the denial of these basic liberties and rights not only 
        exacerbates, but works to perpetuate, many of the fundamental problems 
        of Northern Ireland;
Whereas the people of the United States are troubled and perplexed by the 
        abrogation in Northern Ireland of what they had thought had been the 
        fundamental constitutional right to a trial by jury and by the recent 
        abrogation of the right of an accused to remain silent, which, again, 
        had long been believed to be a constitutional right;
Whereas the people of the United States, in light of the shared commitment of 
        the United States and the United Kingdom to the rule of law, are 
        concerned that the fundamental constitutional rights of the citizens of 
        the United Kingdom are rapidly and tragically being eroded because of 
        two parallel and contributing conditions: first, the United Kingdom 
        appears to be unable to effect with sufficient speed a repair of the 
        damage it allowed to develop in Northern Ireland; and second, the 
        constitutional rights of citizens of the United Kingdom have proven to 
        be fragile and vulnerable when allowed to remain ``unwritten'' as the 
        governments of the day in Northern Ireland have shifted from one course 
        to another to try to cope with a divided society of their own creation;
Whereas the fondest hope of the people of the United States is that, as the 
        European community moves toward greater unity and cooperation, the 
        people and the government of Northern Ireland may likewise embark upon a 
        course of reform, reconciliation, and unification;
Whereas steps toward peace, reconciliation, and unification would be greatly 
        enhanced by the declaration, entrenchment, and constitutional 
        incorporation of a written promulgation of human and civil rights, 
        similar to the United States Bill of Rights or the European Convention 
        on Human Rights, for this troubled corner of Europe;
Whereas recognizing the value of a Bill of Rights, every political party in 
        Northern Ireland has formally and publicly endorsed some sort of 
        constitutional declaration of inalienable rights to be enshrined as 
        being inherent with the people, to be expressly recognized and respected 
        by the current government;
Whereas the constituent political parties in Northern Ireland would be 
        strengthened and seen to be fashioning and fostering a more humane 
        society for all residents in Northern Ireland, if given the opportunity 
        and mandate to come together in constitutional convention to draft a 
        Bill of Rights;
Whereas the need for action toward reconciliation in Northern Ireland is 
        rendered that much more urgent by the trend toward European unification 
        and the increasing speed by which democratic freedoms have been 
        spreading throughout the entire continent; and
Whereas these positive trends have made the civil strife in Northern Ireland 
        more acutely apparent and have accentuated the inability of the current 
        British judicial and constitutional system to protect fully the rights 
        of all citizens of the United Kingdom, most significantly the citizens 
        of Northern Ireland: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress strongly urges the President--
            (1) to urge the Government of the United Kingdom to take 
        prompt steps toward the realization of reconciliation in 
        Northern Ireland by the initiation of a process for the 
        declaration and constitutional incorporation of human rights 
        and civil liberties, similar to the United States Bill of 
        Rights and European Convention on Human Rights, for these 
        people who are so acutely affected; and
            (2) to urge the European Community to undertake such action 
        as may be necessary to ensure that the Government of the United 
        Kingdom is brought up to par with the rest of the Community's 
        member nations in the oversight and protection of human rights 
        and civil liberties with respect to rights of individuals in 
        Northern Ireland.

                                 <all>