Civil Liberties, Citizens’ Rights or Human Rights? A Historical Perspective on Rights in Northern Ireland

Considering that rights have a history, this article looks back at the circumstances in which the terminology and practice of human rights, inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, were introduced in Northern Ireland in the 1960s. The starting point is the reference, found in a primary source dating from 1969, to the possibility of drafting a Human Rights Bill for Northern Ireland based on international models. Drawing on the author’s work tracing the history of community relations policy, this article endeavours to place this particular reference in its historical context by explaining why and how such a promise was made in 1969. These developments are put into perspective with a comparison with Canada. Finally, this article focuses on the historical dimension of two problematic issues in the 1960s in Northern Ireland: one concerned the possibility of aligning with international human rights definitions and standards, and the other the failure of organising a conversation on questions relating to rights.