Ireland
Specialized body - Gender equality
Joint Committee on Justice
(July 2020 - March 2021)About
Nature
Permanent
Members
| All Members | Below 45 years of age | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 14 | 0 |
| Men | 12 | 0 |
| Women | 2 | 0 |
Political affiliation of members
Majority parties
8
Opposition parties
4
Independent
2
Chairperson(s)
Chair 1
James
Lawless
Chairperson: Sex
Male
Date of birth
19 Aug 1976
Political affiliation
Majority
Committee functions
Mainstream gender equality into the work of (other) parliamentary committees and of Parliament as a whole
No
Scrutinise all Bills from a gender perspective
No
Scrutinise the Executive’s policy from a gender perspective
No
Obtain information from the Executive about the justification for actions or inaction which affect gender equality and women’s rights
Yes
Scrutinise State compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
No
Initiate inquiries of its own choosing
Yes
Scrutinise proposed treaties on gender equality, and other international treaties with implications for gender equality and women’s rights, and report to Parliament thereon, prior to ratification
No
Ascertain and review the Executive’s reasons for not acceding to or ratifying existing international human rights treaties on gender equality and women’s rights
No
Scrutinise the Executive’s response to human rights judgments - of national, regional and international courts – that have gender considerations
Yes
Monitor the adequacy of the existing national system for the promotion of gender equality
Yes
Review the allocation and expenditure of funds in the State budget to support measures to promote gender equality and protect women’s rights
Yes
Committee powers
The Committee has the power to:
Propose amendments to legislation
Yes
Introduce bills into Parliament
No
Initiate parliamentary debates on its reports or on subjects of its choosing
No
Carry out inquiries
Yes
Hold oral evidence hearings
Yes
Compel witnesses to attend
No
Compel the production of documents and papers
No
Make recommendations to the Executive
Yes
Conduct visits, including visits abroad
Yes
Access places of detention without notice
No
Committee working methods
The Committee:
Adopts an annual or longer-term work plan
Yes
Publishes reports on its work on the parliamentary website
Yes
Usually reaches consensus on the issues on which it reports
Yes
Systematically follows up its reports and recommendations
Yes
Reports regularly to Parliament on its activities
Yes
Cooperation and coordination
The Committee regularly cooperates and coordinates (e.g. through sharing of reports; meetings; joint follow-up action) with:
Other parliamentary committees
Sometimes
Civil society organisations
Often
National Human Rights Institution(s) and National Institution(s) for the promotion of gender equality
Often called “Commissions” and/or “Ombudspersons” in the area of human rights
Often
Academic institutions, including human rights and gender equality research institutes
Often
The media
Sometimes
Contact information for the Committee
Address
Alan Guidon, Clerk - Committee on Justice, Leinster House
Kildare Street
Dublin, D02 XR20
Phone
+353-016183899
E-mail