Still here: Brexit and human rights in Northern Ireland

Professor Colin Harvey highlights what will remain and what might be lost in terms of rights and equality during and after the Brexit process.

The impact of Brexit on human rights and equality in Northern Ireland is gaining increased attention. This is welcome. The public conversation thus far has tended to focus on the implications for trade and the economy; the common commitment to avoiding a hard border is also well known, and exhaustively discussed.

The decision of Belfast-based NGO the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) to lodge a complaint with the EU Ombudsman has attracted considerable interest, and brought a welcome focus on the issue of rights and equality.

So, what are the concerns? The BrexitLawNI project has been examining the consequences of Brexit for Northern Ireland in areas that include rights and equality. The problems identified map onto Brexit but also relate to a broader malaise in the law and politics of Northern Ireland, where there is currently no government. That project has extensively documented the issues and proposed solutions.

My intention in this post is to explain what will remain and what might be lost during and after the Brexit process.

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Article originally appeared on the UK in a Changing Europe site.