OPINION POLLS
In February 2004, a random sample of 1,000 people in Northern Ireland aged 18 years and over were asked how important a Bill of Rights was to them and what some of the rights protected by a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland should be. This was the third face-to-face survey commissioned by the Human Rights Commission to ascertain public opinion. The two previous surveys took place in 1999 and 2001.
The results of the 2004 opinion survey continued to bear out the importance attached to a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland which clearly emerged from the two earlier surveys.
Almost 70% of those expressing an opinion said that a Bill of Rights, reflecting the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland, was either essential or desirable.
Strong support for a Bill of Rights was indicated by both main communities (65% of Protestants and 73% of Catholics) and this too has been a consistent feature throughout all three surveys.
Just 2% of those who were asked for an opinion in 2004 felt that the idea of a Bill of Rights was unacceptable.
The findings of the following opinion polls are detailed below:
Opinion poll 2004
Opinion Poll, MRNI, 2004 - PDF Format
Opinion poll 2001
Opinion poll, RES, 2001 - Word Format Opinion poll, RES, 2001 - PDF Format