The Northern Ireland Policing Board has appointed John Wadham as its new Human Rights Advisor to help take forward its statutory duty to monitor the performance of the PSNI in line with human rights legislation.
Speaking about the appointment Board Chair Anne Connolly said:
“We are delighted to announce the appointment of such a highly skilled and experienced human rights solicitor to this important role.
It is our job to make sure that the PSNI delivers a professional and ethical service to and for the community. Having access to expert independent advice helps us make sure that the approach of the police, and the policies and procedures they work to, have a rights based approach. This ensures that the rights of the public and the police are protected and contributes to confidence in the service being delivered.
We look forward to working with John to ensure that, through ongoing scrutiny and oversight, the human rights ethos is fully embedded across the police service.”
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For further information please contact the Board’s Communications Office on 07801 738795
Notes to editors
- Biography: John Wadham is a human rights solicitor and activist who has been Executive Director of INTERIGHTS the Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights; General Counsel for the Equality and Human Rights Commission; Deputy Chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission; and Legal Officer, Director of Law and, finally, CEO of Liberty - the National Council for Civil Liberties
He also worked for several law centres in South London and in private practice. He studied at the College of Law, Surrey University and the London School of Economics. He is a Visiting Fellow at Bristol University; a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Auckland and a Honorary Lecturer at University of Leicester. He is a co-author of the Blackstone’s Guide to the Human Rights Act the Blackstone’s Guide to the Freedom of Information Act, the Blackstone’s Guide to the Equality Act and other articles and publications.
- The Northern Ireland Policing Board has a statutory duty to monitor the performance of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in complying with the Human Rights Act 1998 under Section 3(3)(b)(ii) of the Police (NI) Act 2000. The position of Human Rights Advisor to the Board is an independent role and is offered on a contract for services basis for three years with the potential to extend for a further two. The per diem rate for this position is £720 per day up to a maximum of 100 days per year.
Notes to editors ends.