STORY
Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant has announced four appointments to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. Orla Drummond, Gavin Gray, Ben Warwick and Jacqueline Witherow will take up their positions on 1 September 2026, while Alyson Kilpatrick has been reappointed as Chief Commissioner.
Kilpatrick’s full time reappointment is for five years and carries annual remuneration of £114,845. The four new Commissioners have been appointed on a part time basis for three years, receiving £7,500 annually. The Government said all five appointees had declared that they had undertaken no political activity during the preceding five years.
The Commission is an independent public body established under the Northern Ireland Act 1998 following the Belfast Agreement. Its responsibilities include reviewing the effectiveness of laws and practices protecting human rights in Northern Ireland and promoting public understanding of those rights. It also contributes to the mechanism monitoring human rights and equality commitments under the post Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.