(Steven McCaffery, Irish News)

The head of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission Brice Dickson remained under pressure last night (Monday) as another former colleague called for his resignation.

Patrick Yu, executive director of the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities, last night backed calls for Mr Dickson to step down.

The commission was formed under the Good Friday Agreement to defend of human rights in Northern Ireland. But it has struggled to shake-off a series of controversies – with the most serious centring on a case linked to the loyalist protest at Holy Cross school in 2001.

The dispute resurfaced last week when two serving commissioners, Frank McGuinness and Patricia Kelly, called for Mr Dickson to resign over the case.

In a bid to put the controversy behind it, the commission had published an action plan in October which underlined its commitment to "remaining totally independent" of government and other agencies. But last week the Irish News published leaked emails, believed to have been sent by Brice Dickson to commission colleagues, that suggested the action plan was drafted with the help of "senior figures" in the Northern Ireland Office.

Ms Kelly and Mr McGuinness claimed that the organisation had been further compromised.

Two other former commissioners, Inez McCormack and Christine Bell, have also called on Mr Dickson to resign. They left the commission in 2002 over claims that its proposals for a new Bill of Rights jeopardised fair employment protections.

Mr Yu, who resigned on the same issue in July said he was "shocked" by the apparent NIO involvement in the action plan and said Mr Dickson's position "is untenable".

"This is the second time he has made such a misjudgment and mistake. The first time was the Ronnie Flanagan saga and this is the same situation," Mr Yu said.

Last night a spokeswoman for the commission declined to comment.

Earlier this year it emerged that after the commission had agreed to fund a Holy Cross parent in a legal challenge of the policing of the protest, Mr Dickson privately wrote to the then chief constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan saying he did not believe their case had merit. But what has received less attention is that the letter also carried the names of three serving commissioners who also wished to inform the chief constable of their opposition to the decision to back the case.

Mr Dickson's letter also said there was internal opposition to a decision by four commissioners, who had attended the protest, to provide affidavits to the parent.

The letter reads: "Amongst the commissioners who did not agree with these courses of action were Rev Harold Good, Mrs Margaret-Ann Dinsmore, Mr Tom Donnelly and myself. Those three commissioners asked to be expressly named in this letter."

Last night the commission said the three commissioners would be making no further comment on the matter. A joint statement by the commission has already said "the letter should not have been sent" and that it was "unanimous in condemnation of the conduct towards the Holy Cross school girls".

This article appeared first in the November 18, 2003 edition of the Irish News.

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