About CAJ
2016 marked the 35th anniversary of CAJ’s formation. In the dark days of 1981, a standing committee was formed to keep alight the principles of human rights in the midst of a storm of violence and repression. The dogged determination to focus on human rights standards and hold the state to account stood us in good stead when it came to the peace process. CAJ and many others were successful in ensuring that equality and other human rights were at the centre of the settlement. Our task since then has been to try and make a reality of the construction of a new society based on human rights and the rule of law.
We are concerned to combat impunity, guarantee non-recurrence by working for contemporary accountability, promote a rights based framework for the exercise of the freedoms of expression and assembly, protect human rights and the peace settlement, advocate the application of the fundamental principles of equality and practice international solidarity.
About CAJ's Structure and Staff
Learn how CAJ is structured
CAJ seeks to ensure the highest standards in the administration of justice in Northern Ireland by ensuring that the government complies with its responsibilities in international human rights law.
CAJ takes no position on the constitutional status of Northern Ireland and is firmly opposed to the use of violence for political ends. Its membership is drawn from across the community.
CAJ works closely with other domestic and international human rights groups and makes regular submissions to a number of United Nations and European bodies established to protect human rights.
CAJ is for human rights
The protection and promotion of human rights is the foundation of CAJ.
We are committed to working for human rights without distinction for all communities and individuals in Northern Ireland and work with any and all victims of human rights abuses.
CAJ was established as a response to human rights violations during the conflict in Northern Ireland and was also created to ensure that the protection of human rights was at the heart of ending conflict and building a society based on the rule of law. It is therefore explicitly concerned to promote peace through justice and equality. We recognise the dignity of every person as the basis for human rights protection and focus on the centrality and necessity of non-discrimination and equality as the basis for a rule of law based society.
Human rights law is based on international treaties and CAJ focuses on the standards they contain and works for their enforcement.
Human rights standards bind the state and CAJ works not only to protect people’s human rights from the state, but also to strengthen the rule of law generally to ensure that people are fully protected and supported by the government and its agencies.
Human rights are indivisible and have universal application – CAJ works in solidarity with other human rights NGOs as well as with international organisations striving to protect human rights. We are full members of FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights) and we actively support its policies and initiatives.
About CAJ's work
Unfinished business and continuing problems
The major unfinished business of the peace process is the UK government’s failure to legislate for a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland including identified rights supplementary to the European Convention. There is also currently no comprehensive method of dealing with past abuses and unsolved crimes in Northern Ireland. The UK state is seriously in breach of its European Convention Article 2 obligation to protect the Right to Life by properly investigating cases where state involvement in unlawful killing is alleged and is perpetuating a state of impunity for state agents.
The Belfast Good Friday Agreement provided a unique framework within which people with different national aspirations and allegiances could share the same political and geographical space. The withdrawal of the UK from the EU will have a profound effect on the legal and constitutional underpinning of the present jurisdiction of Northern Ireland, its relations with the Irish state and UK-Ireland bilateral relations. The UK and Ireland’s common membership of the EU was an assumption in the Belfast Good Friday Agreement (BGFA) and the UK’s adherence to EU law regulates the powers and legislative operations of the devolved institutions. The equal rights of Irish and British citizens, a principle of the BGFA, in great part relies on the equal rights of both as having EU citizenship.
Why support CAJ?
CAJ is the leading specialist human rights organisation in Northern Ireland. It has unrivalled experience in working for peace and justice in Northern Ireland over a period of 35 years. Its main method of work is to produce authoritative legal and social analysis on key issues and to advocate for reforms that will enhance the protection of human rights. It has credibility for the quality of its work in government, political parties and civil society, even amongst those who disagree with its policies. It enjoys a high media profile and has had significant impact in the areas in which it campaigns.
All publications and submissions are available on our website
CAJ is part of Rights Focus, a partnership with the Human Rights Consortium, the Public Interest Litigation Support Project and Participation and Practice of Rights supported by the Human Rights Fund.
The Human Rights Fund is a consortium of funders established by Atlantic Philanthropies who will match donations by other foundations. It seeks to provide some support to independent human rights groups which take no state funding.
CAJ needs other funding to maintain its work and is grateful to the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, the Paul D Schurgot Foundation, the trade union Unison and many individual donors. The organisation has been awarded the Reebok Human Rights Award and the Council of Europe Human Rights Prize.
CAJ is structured as a company limited by guarantee (No. NI032591). Membership of the company is open to individuals who support the above objects. The membership elects the Executive who form the Board of Directors. The Executive is responsible for the strategic direction of the organisation and for its effective governance. Organisations may affiliate to CAJ but do not have a vote.