In the second episode in our series celebrating the NI Human Rights Partnership, PILS visit the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ).

CAJ and PILS have a vibrant history of collaboration - almost enough for a whole series of episodes! 

Director Daniel Holder and Immigration Project Coordinator Úna Boyd reveal how tools like pro bono legal opinions and Freedom of Information requests have bolstered CAJ's policy & advocacy work.

Tune in to hear how CAJ & PILS coordinate their own organisational expertise to promote human rights in NI. You'll hear timely reflections on combatting toxic anti-immigration rhetoric, as well as discussions on untangling complex legal 'spaghetti' and staying hopeful as we all work together for change.

In this special series, we dive deep into the collaborative spirit of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Partnership.

Discover how four unique organisations  - PILS, the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), Human Rights Consortium (HRC) and Participation and the Practice of Rights (PPR) are united in their pursuit of equality, human rights and justice.

Recorded the HRP's shared home of Community House in Belfast city centre, join your PILS hosts Emma & Hilary as they sit down with Alexa Moore and Niall Robb to reflect on a landmark collaboration between PILS and the Human Rights Consortium this past spring.

Go behind the scenes of Northern Ireland's landmark environmental court case.

You'll learn about a truly shocking air quality failing - and meet the team of lawyers and campaigners going to court to make it stop. 

***

Notes

Learn more about the PILS Pro Bono Register: https://pilsni.org/work-with-us/pro-bono-volunteers/

The PILS Project stands for ‘Public Interest Litigation Support’.

We are Northern Ireland’s legal project dedicated to helping local human rights activists and lawyers to build life-changing legal cases together.

We’re starting our podcast journey with a behind-the-scenes look at Northern Ireland’s latest climate court challenge: the Clean Air NI case. 

Remember the 'Go Home' vans? That 2013 Home Office campaign was a visible example of the UK government's 'Hostile Environment': a toxic combination of cruel rhetoric & restrictive law/policy.

Through Free Movement, barrister and blogger Colin Yeo has been keeping lawyers and civil society up-to-date on immigration law developments since 2007.

He tells us about that work & his mixed feelings on strategic litigation on asylum issues. 

Pollution doesn't stop at the border... so why should climate action?

Environmental Justice Network Ireland is challenging environmental injustice on the island of Ireland.

Dr Ciara Brennan & Caitlin McIlhennon tell us:

• how EJNI burst into life in 2019
• about the 'nitty-gritty' of building all-island court cases 
• and why Ireland is an amazing potential staging ground for strategic litigation. 

In this thought-provoking episode of To Be Fair NI, we delve into the heart of climate justice, a priority area for The PILS Project.

Discover how PILS leverages legal expertise to support place protectors and environmental NGOs, and learn about upcoming court dates that could shape Northern Ireland's climate justice landscape.

Plus, find out how you can get involved, whether you're a seasoned lawyer or a concerned citizen in action for a fairer, healthier world.

In this episode, the PILS staff team explore:

• What the human rights infrastructure is
• How it has come under attack in 2023
• And how human rights defenders in Northern Ireland can work with PILS to protect it

You’ll also hear NIHRC Chief Commissioner Alyson Kilpatrick talk about why defending the rule of law is not a game and how she remains hopeful while doing this work.

Series One of TBFNI is all about introductions.

In this first bumper episode, you'll discover:

• where our podcast's name came from (NI or nai?)
• who the humans behind The PILS Project are
• how our new Toolkit is demystifying litigation 

Useful links:

https://pilsni.org/our-team/

https://pilsni.org/toolkit/ 

Get ready to meet the team of human rights defenders working at The PILS Project.

Series One of To Be Fair NI is coming soon!

It's all been leading up to this moment.

After years of planning, expert reports and compiling legal arguments, the #CleanAirNI challenge is going to court. 

But what actually happens where we get there?

Episode Three of Holding our Breath takes you behind the scenes of Northern Ireland's landmark air quality case with its lawyers, environmental justice groups and NI’s children’s rights watchdog. 

The Clean Air NI story continues as lawyers and human rights campaigners team up to tackle a shocking air quality failing in Northern Ireland.

In this episode, one of the legal team gets some life-changing news. 

Public Interest Litigation Support have been connecting local human rights defenders with pro bono lawyers through our Pro Bono Register since 2011.

Now, we’re reuniting some of those incredible activists and lawyers to share their unique experiences of collaborating for change.

This episode features Conradh na Gaeilge’s Cuisle Nic Liam, CAJ solicitor Úna Boyd and barrister Iryna Kennedy.

Their story, sparked by Belfast City Council’s bilingual signage decision at the Olympia Leisure Centre, is about language equality, transparency, and testing new legal ground.

To Be Fair NI is back with a brand new series! 

Episodes released from Thursday 13 November 2025. 

Go behind the scenes with the team at Public Interest Litigation Support, as we support our member organisations to build legal cases that challenge injustice, protect human rights, and promote equality in Northern Ireland.

Public Interest Litigation Support have been connecting local human rights defenders with pro bono lawyers through our Pro Bono Register since 2011.

Now, we’re reuniting some of those incredible activists and lawyers to share their unique experiences of collaborating for change.

This episode stars two experts who teamed up to connect the dots between policy, law and real life in Northern Ireland: Deena Nimick, the Centre for Independent Living NI's policy and campaign's manager, and barrister Wesley McGrady. 

Our Autumn Social marked 25 years of the Human Rights Act. Now, we’re sharing something special: a replay episode featuring highlights from two thought-provoking speeches from PILS Director Kate Barry and human rights expert John Wadham.

Feel the energy of the Autumn Social again (or for the first time).

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