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Michael Farrell | |
|---|---|
| Member of theEuropean Commission against Racism and Intolerance | |
| Assumed office 24 November 2011 | |
| Council of State of Ireland | |
| In office 6 January 2012 – 10 November 2018 | |
| Appointed by | Michael D. Higgins |
| Member of theIrish Human Rights Commission | |
| In office 2001–2011 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1944 (age 80–81) Magherafelt |
| Political party | People's Democracy |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Consultant inHuman Rights law |
| Profession |
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Michael Farrell (born 1944,Magherafelt) is anIrishcivil rightsactivist and writer. He was a leading figure in theQueen's University-basedPeople's Democracy (PD) from 1968 until the 1970s.[1][2][3]
Farrell was educated atQueen's University Belfast, earning aBachelor of Arts (BA) in English, and theUniversity of Strathclyde, where he was awarded aMaster of Science (MSc) in Politics.[4][5] He was aLabourTrotskyist, becoming involved in theNorthern Ireland civil rights movement inNorthern Ireland in the late 1960s and joining its executive. He was also a founding member of PD, established on 9 October 1968 afterRoyal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) had broken up a civil rights march inDerry on 5 October. Farrell stood as their candidate forBannside in theNorthern Ireland general election of 1969, where he finished third behindTerence O'Neill (theNorthern Ireland Prime Minister) andIan Paisley.[6] He wasinterned without trial for six weeks from 9 August 1971. Imprisoned for breach of the peace in 1973, Farrell and another PD member, Tony Canavan, went onhunger strike in demand of political status. The strike lasted for thirty-four days before they were released.
In the 1980s he campaigned for the release of victims of miscarriage of justice cases inEngland and in theRepublic of Ireland, including theBirmingham Six.[7] Farrell also campaigned against political censorship underSection 31 of the Broadcasting Act in Ireland.
After moving toDublin, he studied atDublin Institute of Technology to receive a Diploma of Legal Studies and became asolicitor through theLaw Society of Ireland.[4] Farrell was co-chairperson of theIrish Council for Civil Liberties from 1995 to 2001.[8] He was appointed a member of theIrish Human Rights Commission in 2001 and reappointed in October 2006, serving until 2011. In 2005 he was appointed to the Steering Committee of the National Action Plan Against Racism. He previously was a senior solicitor forFree Legal Advice Centres between 2005 and 2015,[5] and has brought cases to theEuropean Court of Human Rights and the UNHuman Rights Committee.[4][5]
In 2011 he was appointed to theEuropean Commission against Racism and Intolerance and was reappointed for a second term in 2016.[9]
In January 2012 he was nominated to the IrishCouncil of State byPresidentMichael D. Higgins.[10][11]
In 2022University College Dublin recognised Farrell's contribution to Irish public life, specifically to human rights in the context the introduction of the state’s gender recognition laws, with an honorary doctorate.[7]
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