DUP angry about rights body move

Monica McWilliams wants time to prove hersef

DUP leader Ian Paisley has said he has protested the appointment of Monica McWilliams as the new NI Human Rights chief commissioner with Tony Blair.

The former leader of the Women's Coalition was announced as the new head of the commission on Thursday.

Mr Paisley accused her of anti-unionist bias and said he took the appointment as a personal insult due to a dispute he had with her in the past.

Professor McWilliams said she should be given space to prove herself.

Mr Paisley described her appointment as "crass".

"The government must now remember that the unionists will have nothing to do with their commission," the DUP leader said.

"They will not take any part as long as they have a chairman, or chairlady, who cannot be trusted by both sides."

However, Prof McWilliams rejected the criticism.

"You don't arrive at trust, you build trust," she said. "I certainly hope I can work with the DUP as I have in the past.

"This should be a healthy issue not a divisive issue."

The university academic, who succeeds Professor Brice Dickson, said a Bill of Rights was her top priority.

"I have had a long-standing commitment to human rights in Northern Ireland and am looking forward to taking a Bill of Rights forward," she said.

Seven new commissioners were also appointed along with Prof McWilliams, and the government hopes this will draw a line under a turbulent time at the NIHRC.

Criticism

The commission had been criticised in the past for a lack of teeth and the government has signalled its intention to increase its powers.

However, this is likely to take about two years to happen due to the consultative and legislative process.

The commission suffered a number of resignations and withdrawals and has been the target of widespread political criticism.

A new chief commissioner and up to 10 other members had been expected to have been appointed before May's general election.

The terms of office of Prof Dickson and three other commissioners ended at the end of February.

The other new commissioners include the DUP's Jonathan Bell and fellow councillors Geraldine Rice of Alliance and the SDLP's Eamon O'Neill. Professor of Human Rights Law at Queen's University Colin Harvey, also joins the commission.

Also appointed were equality commissioners Anne Hope and Alan Henry and former headmaster Thomas Duncan.

Brice Dickson was the first chief commissioner

Sinn Fein's Catriona Ruane said the commission "will be judged on its commitment to deliver on the original expectations of the Good Friday Agreement".

She said her party was concerned that political appointments to the commission would hamper its work.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan welcomed the appointments, saying they were "a positive step", representing a "new beginning" for the commission.