By 
ONE of Northern Ireland’s most experienced district judges has sharply criticised politicians who are seeking to remove or dilute the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Retired judge Barney McElholm, originally from the Omagh area, has long been a prominent advocate for tackling violence against women and girls.
Speaking at an event organised by the Inner Wheel Club of Omagh last Tjursday evening, he warned that political attempts to undermine human rights legislation ‘sicken him to the core’.
“The ECHR should be the cornerstone and foundation of every legal system, human rights is not one country deciding it will go its own way. It is a balancing exercise.”
In a wide-ranging discussion, Mr McElholm also reflected on progress made within the court system on domestic abuse cases, while acknowledging that significant challenges remain.
He highlighted new provisions preventing alleged abusers who represent themselves from cross-examining victims directly in court.
“Another contentious area is access to counselling notes,” he said.
“Some counsel may try to micro-dissect small differences to undermine a victim’s credibility. It’s often a weapon of last resort. But if you step in too far as a judge, you risk ending up before the Court of Appeal. It’s a fine line to ensure victims are not badgered.”
Mr McElholm also stressed the need to educate young people about respect, dignity and healthy relationships, saying social pressures and online culture make this more difficult than ever.
“If a boy wants to be seen as an alpha male, he feels he can’t be understanding or kind. This mindset is becoming prevalent,” he said.
“Women’s Aid are working on programmes for schools, and there was once close cooperation between education, health and justice to tackle domestic abuse, but a change in personnel saw it fall away.”
Reflecting on the roots of abusive behaviour, he said society often forgets that perpetrators are not distant or unfamiliar.
“Domestic abusers are not an alien species parachuted in, they are in our communities – a brother, cousin, uncle or father. Why some men respect women while others do not is a question we haven’t even begun to answer.”
