The NIHRC's main functions are to:
* Promote awareness and understanding of human rights in Northern Ireland.
* Monitor the human rights situation in Northern Ireland and report on it to the UK Government and other international bodies.
* Investigate complaints of human rights abuses in Northern Ireland.
* Provide advice and assistance to individuals and organisations on human rights issues.
The NIHRC has also played an important role in the development of human rights law in Northern Ireland. It has, for example, been instrumental in the development of the following laws:
* The Human Rights Act 1998, which incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law.
* The Equality Act (Northern Ireland) 2006, which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, political opinion, disability, age, sexual orientation and race in Northern Ireland.
* The Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2015, which introduced a range of reforms to the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland, including the establishment of a new Independent Office for Human Rights.
The NIHRC has also been involved in a number of high-profile cases, including the case of Bloody Sunday, in which it represented the families of the victims of the shootings in Derry in 1972.
The NIHRC is an important organisation that plays a vital role in protecting and promoting human rights in Northern Ireland. It has made a significant contribution to the development of human rights law and has been involved in a number of important cases.
