BILL OF RIGHTS FORUM In recent months greater policy attention has been devoted on the potential of creating a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. This focus on the Bill of Rights followed the recent Agreement by the British and Irish Governments, at St Andrews, where the UK government promised to set up a forum for political parties and representatives of civil society to help build a consensus on what should consitute such a charter. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and a range of other interests warmly welcomed this overdue development. The Bill of Rights Forum, which was inaugurated in December 2006, consisted of 28 members - 14 from the main political parties and 14 representatives of civil society. The Human Rights Commission was not a member of the Forum and was independent from its work. On 15 March 2007, the government confirmed the appointment of the leading Australian Human Rights lawyer, Chris Sidoti, as the Chair of the Forum.  Since 2003, Mr Sidoti has been the Director of the International Service for Human Rights, based in Geneva, Switzerland. Formerly a Commissioner with the Australian Human Rights Commission, and the Australian Law Reform Commission, he was also the Foundation Director of the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. He has also worked extensively in many countries, particularly in the Asia Pacific region, carrying out human rights training and advisory work. He is a visiting Professor at the University of Western Sydney and Griffith University in Australia. The Forum completed its report on 31 March 2008 and this work will inform the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in fulfilling its statutory duty to provide advice to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on the scope for defining, in Westminster legislation, rights supplementary to those in the European Convention on Human Rights reflecting the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland.